Love Is A Ruthless Game
by HerLadyHufflepuff
Summary: When Draco is paired with a Muggle-Born bride, Lucius takes matters into his own hands, bribing the Ministry and choosing his own daughter-in-law. But things don't go to plan when Lucius find himself irresistibly drawn to the girl who was meant to marry his son, the girl Narcissa is coming to see as a daughter already...Lucius/OC, with some Draco/OC. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Love is a Ruthless Game**

 **A Marriage Law Fanfiction**

When Draco is paired with a Muggle-Born bride, Lucius takes matters into his own hands, bribing the Ministry and choosing his own daughter-in-law. But things don't go to plan when Lucius find himself irresistibly drawn to the girl who was meant to marry his son, the girl Narcissa is coming to see as a daughter already...Lucius/OC, with some Draco/OC. Rated M.

 ***Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended! All rights go to JKR***

Chapter One

" _The Ministry of Magic wishes to inform you, Mr Malfoy, of a new law which has recently been passed concerning Magical Marriages. Due to the low birth rate of Pure or Half-Blood wizards and witches, the Ministry was compelled to consider possibilities to increase these important statistics. After much thought, we came to a decision._

" _Henceforth, from this day onwards, all Magical persons between the ages of 16 and 45 will be paired up, as the Ministry in its wisdom sees fit, and will be given a two-week period in which to marry._

" _Mr Malfoy, please find below the pairings concerning those Magical persons believed to be currently residing at your address. Please note, having read this letter, it has now become your legal obligation to ensure that these unions are completed before the appropriate deadlines._

 _Congratulations!_

" _Regards,_

" _The Minister for Magic,_

 _"_ _K. Shacklebolt"_

 _*"Mr Draco Lucius Malfoy will marry Miss Olivia Charlotte Creevey forthwith."*_

Lucius Malfoy scowled at the parchment in his hands, telling him that his son was to be married to _Olivia Creevey_. A 'muggle born'. He could feel his blood pressure rising. It was insufferable. The Ministry had to be joking, although it was far from funny. Dennis and Collin Creevey had remained largely off Lucius' radar in the time his son was at Hogwarts, _luckily for them_ , he thought, unlike Granger. But this...No.

Lucius slammed the letter down on his desk and rose to his feet quickly, sending his chair screeching across the floor of his office. "Lexi!" he barked, and the house-elf appeared at his feet, quivering in the way she always did when he called. He couldn't imagine why.

"Fetch my cloak - I'm going out."

*.*.*.*.*

"Mr Malfoy," the amused voice of the Minister for Magic greeted him as he stormed into his office at the Ministry: "I presume you got your letter..." Lucius stopped short and glowered down at Shacklebolt, who met the anger in his eyes with a restrained grin. This clearly _was_ a joke to him. "Have a seat..."

"Do not tell me to sit, Shacklebolt." Lucius spat the name, and gripped the back of the chair with one hand, his cane in the other. " _Olivia Creevey_?! What has Draco done to deserve _that_?"

Shacklebolt feigned incomprehension, shrugging his shoulders in a way that only served to infuriate Lucius further. "I don't know what you mean, Mr Malfoy. From what I hear, Olivia Creevey is a lovely young woman..."

"She's a-" Lucius lowered his voice. His views about _mudbloods_ may not have changed, but government policy was becoming stricter by the day on, what they classed, 'discrimination'. "She's a _muggle-born_."

Shacklebolt nodded, again trying not to look too gleeful at Malfoy's disdain and discomfort. "That she is, and a fine witch too. I think she and Draco will get on swimmingly..." This time he couldn't help it; his face broke out into a wide smirk. Malfoy had been officially forgiven for his participation in the war, and Shacklebolt knew that he knew that he had to be careful not to push the Ministry too far. This resulted in endless amusement for Shacklebolt, who took great pleasure in putting the wizard in these sorts of situations, and watching him seethe. This time, however, he did have a further motive.

"Damn it, Shacklebolt," Lucius snapped, banging the chair down on the concrete of the floor. "What do you want?"

The Minister sobered, and sat back in his chair, steepling his hands in front of him as he contemplated Malfoy. "Actually, Mr Malfoy, there is an...opportunity...for 'maneuver' here. You see, I still haven't got round to sending Miss Creevey her letter." He reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a sealed piece of parchment. In reality it was blank, but he'd been keeping there, certain as he was that Malfoy would be along at some point. "I could always _postpone_ sending this, if you had another bride in mind for Draco...?"

Lucius regarded him coldly, trying to gather his thoughts. What was Shacklebolt getting at here? It suddenly hit him. "You want my money. You want me to bribe you, in return for another choice."

"Not just another choice, Mr Malfoy, _your own choice_." Now Shacklebolt had lowered his voice too, and threw up a silencing charm around his office for added privacy. "I'll be straight with you - we're running low on funding this year. We have a whole host of new policies we need to implement, new staff we need to pay for, and not enough galleons." He got to his feet so that he was at Malfoy's height. " _Quid pro quo_ , Mr Malfoy. A generous _donation_ might see me burn this," he waved the parchment in between them, "And I'm sure I could convince the Ministers in charge of the law to accept a new choice for Draco..."

Lucius took a deep breath, trying to think through his options. It was clear that Shacklebolt wanted an answer now. Money wasn't an issue for him, and he was confident that Shacklebolt wasn't aware of the extent of his wealth, especially his income from property and investment abroad. He could give a generous _donation_ , and hardly make a dent in his galleon supplies... "I'll do it."

*.*.*.*.*

{Author's note: this story was published a few years ago under my old pen-name; I recently came across the chapters and decided it was time to re-upload. As all the chapters are already prepared, I will be uploading regularly.}


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Virginia! Avez-vous gagné le poids?" Her mother's sharp voice broke Virginia's reverie, and she turned wearily to face her. _Have you gained weight_? One of her mother's favourite questions.

"No, Maman."

"Mon poussin," her mother continued to berate her, reaching out impatiently to smooth her hair behind her ear, like she was a messy child and not a young woman. "Zat dress is not flattering, take it off." Virginia refrained, with difficulty, from sighing, knowing it would do no good. She found herself in this sort of situation far too often with her mother. Whatever she did, she was never quite good enough, or beautiful enough, or graceful enough, or witty enough. It was exhausting to try to keep up with her mother's wishes.

" _Poussin_!" her mother snapped, "Hurry up!" To an outsider, the her mother's nickname for her, _chicken_ , might have sounded like an endearment. It was not. It's origins stemmed back to her first governess, who had deemed her handwriting "chicken-scratch". Her mother had never let it go, although Virginia's years a Beauxbatons had corrected her handwriting, along with her "appalling posture" and "distinct lack of grace".

Now clad in only her underclothes, Virginia crossed her arms in the cold draught of the room, and awaited further instructions while her mother inspected her. "Turn around," she commanded. "Oui, you have gained weight," she concluded, prodding her daughter's flat stomach. "Zat _school_ was no Beauxbatons." She meant Hogwarts; her disdain for her daughter's second school transcended languages, and she had pulled Virginia out before the end of the war, along with the other aristocratic families, deciding that Virginia didn't _need_ NEWTs, after all.

"Why did zat McGonagelles not implement more exerzise?" her mother demanded, her back turned to Virginia as she rummaged through her daughter's wardrobe.

"Maman, McGona _gall_ ," Virginia corrected, trying to keep her voice impassive. "It was a troubled time for the school, with the war, and-"

"Ah, this one will do," Madame Renwick cut in, spinning triumphantly with a light pink chiffon gown, which she proceeded to thrust in her daughter's face. "Well, put it on, _poussin_ , _vite_!"

Virginia took the proffered gown and stepped into it carefully, pulling it up over her shoulders. The fabric was thin, and stopped at her knees, leaving her calves cold. "Better," her mother offered coldly, circling her.

At that moment her father, the ever-remote Charles Renwick, hammered on the door. "Ladies, it's time to go. Antoinette, Virginia, hurry up." He backed away from the door, and Antoinette tutted, brushing off imaginary lint from the dress. Virginia had noticed a definite coldness between her parents ever since her English father had decided to pull her out of Beauxbatons and move her to Hogwarts so that she could take her OWLs there. Her mother had been highly offended at the slight to the school her mother and grandmother before her had attended, but had been unable to dissuade her husband from the inevitable; he had made his mind up, and Charles Renwick didn't altar his plans.

Normally, Antoinette had to admit, this wasn't a problem, as she agreed with most of his schemes - well, the ones she was allowed in on. But Hogwarts...she shuddered. It had done nothing for her daughter.

"Vite, vite, _poussin_ , we'll be late for dinner. I don't suppose the Malfoys like to be kept waiting." Her tone was irritated, and almost its normal bossy self, but Virginia could detect a hint of nerves under her mother's aloof demeanor. She hadn't been allowed to know _why_ her family had been invited to the Malfoys' for dinner that evening, especially at such short notice, but she thought that her parents _did_ know, and were keeping it from her, for whatever reason. _Or no reason_ , she thought. It was quite common for them to simply _forget_ to tell her things. _Like that she was leaving Beauxbatons..._ she thought bitterly. _Or that she was leaving Hogwarts, too..._

All she knew was that her mother was desperate for her to look attractive, although that was nothing new. She couldn't leave the house without her mother's disapproving scrutiny, not even to go for a stroll in their own gardens.

Now her mind turned back to tonight, as she followed her mother to the entrance hall, from where they would apparate. The Malfoys had invited them to use the Floo system, but her mother adamantly refused - it was dirty, she said, and rude to appear in a person's fireplace upon the first visit. No, she had said, they would apparate, and walk up the Malfoy's driveway, like the civilized Purebloods they were. No arguments.

Although Virginia had been sorted into Slytherin house for her relatively short time at Hogwarts, she was two years younger than Draco, and had had little to do with him, other than the one time when he had shouted at her for being in his way as he strode down a corridor in a fit of rage. She highly doubted he remembered her; they hadn't seen each other since before the Battles started at Hogwarts, when her mother had withdrawn her.

She knew that her father had done business with Lucius Malfoy, something to do with property acquisition in France, but she wasn't aware that they were friends, or even saw each other sociably. And her mother had never even met Narcissa, and was delighted and _humbled_ , in her words, to be meeting such a _fine_ and _noble_ lady, of such a _fine_ family. _At least someone was excited, if nervous, about the dinner_ , Virginia mused, taking in her mother's state. Her father looked wary and unimpressed at his wife's tardiness, and gripped the arms of his wife and daughter roughly as they apparated to Malfoy Manor.

*.*.*.*.*

Draco Malfoy paced the length of the dining room, fists clenched at his sides. "Move, Lexi!" he barked, as his father's newest house-elf got in his way as she carried in the freshly polished goblets. In truth, the elf had done nothing to displease; she seemed well-mannered and obedient, but he was in a foul mood, which his father had warned him that he needed to subdue for their dinner party.

 _Dinner party_. Damn it, of all the insufferable, pointless, godforsaken social customs...He stopped and took a deep breath to calm down. It wasn't even the party he was angry about, he reminded himself. It was the _letter_.

His father had burst into his room late that morning, fuming, and thrust a piece of parchment at him, with the seal of the Ministry. _He was to be married,_ falling, as he did, into the category of single 16-45 year-olds, and to a _mudblood_ , no less. Except he wasn't, not now. Now, his father had taken it upon himself to find him a bride himself.

In some ways, Draco had to admit, this _was_ better. He couldn't picture the Creevey girl, but based on his memories of her brothers...No, his father's choice had to be better than _that._ He probably wouldn't have minded at all, if it hadn't been for Pansy, who he was still rather hung-up over. But, as of this morning, she was betrothed to some idiot Hufflepuff, poor girl. And even Astoria, his mother's choice, was to be married to Ronald Weasley. He did _not_ envy her. Thank Merlin the Ministry hadn't tried to put him with Ginevra...or Granger, come to that.

"Draco, come and wait in the Hall," his mother called from the door. "They're just walking up the path."

*.*.*.*.*

Virginia tried not to stare up at the Manor looming over her as she struggled to keep up with her parents, who were striding down the gravel path between two intimidating hedgerows. They reached the impressive wrought-iron gates, which swung open for them, as if expecting guests. Her father drew himself up to his full height, guessing that someone was watching them, perhaps from one of the diamond-paneled windows.

"Stand up straight," her mother hissed at her, as they stopped before the front door, and her father knocked firmly, before stepping back and adjusting his cloak slightly, straightening the expensive fabric.

Quickly, the door swung open, revealing Lucius Malfoy. Virginia vaguely wondered why he'd opened the door himself, but pushed that thought aside as she smiled politely. He didn't seem to notice her. Lucius greeted her parents formally, and stepped aside to let them in. Three house-elves rushed over to them, bowing low before taking their travelling cloaks.

"It's so good to have you here," Lucius cooed, his voice velvet. "Madam Renwick," he said, addressing her mother with the smallest hint of an accent, suggesting a knowledge of the French language, "Enchanté." Virginia tried not to wince as her mother blushed slightly, and extended her hand for Lucius to kiss.

His eyes seemed to find Virginia for the first time, and he took a small step towards her. She held her ground, although she would instinctively have stepped back: the man was intimidating and, frankly, she was struggling to keep eye contact. "Mademoiselle Virginia, enchanté." He took her proffered hand, his grey eyes never leaving hers. "I'm so glad you could come tonight."

"It was an honour to be invited," her father interceded before she was forced to answer. From the shadows in the corner of the hall, movement caught Virginia's eye, and Lucius turned at the sound of footsteps.

Draco had stepped forward, just behind the women Virginia assumed to be Narcissa Malfoy. She was a tall and slim woman, currently dressed in a light pink gown, not dissimilar to Virginia's own. She had about her an air of grace and good-breeding, much like her mother and her the women of her mother's family in France. Her long blond hair was swept up in a braid, and neatly charmed back. In the dim light of the hall, her pale skin looked almost ethereal, and her distinguished beauty was striking.

"Charles, I believe you've met my wife, Narcissa. Narcissa, our guests: Mr and Madam Renwick and Mademoiselle Virginia Renwick." Narcissa walked gracefully over the rug that covered the floor of the entrance hall, and Virginia watched as her father greeted her, kissing both cheeks. Her mother did the same.

When Narcissa turned to kiss Virginia, her expression changed, but almost imperceptibly, her eyes glinting by the candle light. As she leant down, Virginia could smell her perfume, and when she stood back, she kept a light hold on Virginia's shoulders, almost like she was inspecting her, or assessing her for some reason. Virginia glanced down, feeling uncomfortable under the older woman's scrutiny.

"Draco, come," Lucius commanded, and Virginia recognized in his voice the same tone her mother used with her in the presence of visitors. Draco stepped forward reluctantly, and shook hands with her parents, a cold smile plastered to his face which didn't reach his eyes, and nodded to Virginia.

The two families introduced, Narcissa cleared her throat, and invited them into the dining room. Her clear voice echoed in the hall as the Renwicks were led through a dark corridor.

*.*.*.*.*

Once again, Virginia found herself trying not to stare. The Malfoy dining room couldn't have been further removed from her own family suite, which was light and decorated by her mother in calm, clean pastel colours. The Malfoy's dining room was long and narrow, with a long black table stretching from one end to the other. House-elves, clad in crisp white aprons, lined the walls, another example of the Malfoys' obvious wealth.

Narcissa led the group into the room, slipping into her role as hostess with ease. "Mr and Mrs Renwick, would you like to sit down?" She gestured to two places on the left side of the table. Virginia noticed with interest how her mother, who would normally pout slightly at being addressed as "Mrs" and not "Madam", either didn't notice or didn't care when Narcissa spoke to her. She was clearly as impressed with the woman as she'd expected to be.

Lucius took Virginia by surprise, slipping his arm under hers and guiding her around the table, to sit in the seat opposite her mother. Draco sat at the end of the table next to Virginia, and Lucius took the head position, with Narcissa on his right, opposite Mr Renwick. Antoinette noticed with approval how the Malfoy men waited until the ladies were seated before sitting themselves: this was exactly the type of good-breeding she wanted for her daughter...

Most of the conversation during the starter took place at the head of the table, between Lucius and Charles, with Virginia's mother keeping a firm eye on her daughter, lest she do something unforgivably clumsy or rude at the table.

Narcissa had begun the meal making polite small talk with Virginia, but as the main course was served, Virginia couldn't help but notice that her questions became more personal, and that whenever she gave a positive answer, Narcissa would shoot an odd look at Draco, who remained utterly silent.

 _What was your education at Beauxbatons like?_ she had asked, and _How did you do in your OWLs? What have you been doing these past few months, since you left Hogwarts?_ She looked particularly pleased when Virginia told her that she'd spent the last few months at their family home, perfecting her French under a governess, and increasing her understanding of Herbology. She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Draco, who smiled stiffly in return, but still said nothing.

By the time desert was served, Virginia was becoming slightly suspicious as to the Malfoys' reasons for inviting them. There was definitely some sort of underlying tension, and whenever the Ministry was mentioned, the adults would exchange glances and change the subject, without fail onto the topic of Virginia, and her life. Antoinette interjected wherever possible, praising her daughter to the Malfoys, which made Virginia especially nervous. Her mother never praised her, not even in front of guests. More than once during the course of the meal, Virginia would glance up and find Lucius watching her, his hard eyes drinking her in.

After they had finished eating, Lucius invited Charles and Antoinette to join him and Narcissa in the drawing room for drinks, and 'suggested' that Draco take Virginia on a tour of the grounds.

"It's dark, Father," Draco replied, his voice sounding rusty from lack of use all evening. Lucius glared at him.

"The moon is bright tonight, Draco. Take your wand - you'll be fine." His tone left no room for argument, and Draco rose stiffly, helping Virginia by pulling her seat out. She rose slightly stiffly after the long meal, and smiled at him in thanks. He averted his eyes.

"Draco, a word please, before you go." Narcissa smiled at the rest of the party to excuse herself, and led her son into the anteroom through a hidden adjoining door behind where he'd been sitting. She waited until the rest of the party had left the dining room, before turning on him.

"Draco, what has happened to your manners tonight?" she demanded, gripping his chin to search his eyes. "You know perfectly well that Virginia, in all likelihood, will become your _wife_ , and not in too distant a future. Why aren't you talking to her?"

Draco shrugged, and tried to look away. "She doesn't know, does she?"

"Hmm?"

"She doesn't know. I can see it in her eyes. She's trying to work out what we want from her."

"Perhaps."

"She has a right to know, don't you think, what Father has planned?"

His mother narrowed her eyes in warning. "If Mr and Mrs Renwick haven't seen it fit to tell their daughter yet, that is their business, and not ours. Do you understand? If your father is pleased with her, she will know soon enough." Draco shook his head.

"What if she asks me?"

"She won't," his mother replied with confidence. "She's a well-raised, polite young woman. She spent her formative years at Beauxbatons, for Merlin's sake. She knows it would be out of place to ask you such an accusatory question."

Draco still looked apprehensive. "What is it, Draco? You've talked to girls before. What's wrong with you?"

"I've talked to Pansy before. And Daphne and Astoria. I grew up with them. I barely know this girl."

Narcissa sighed impatiently. "What more do you want, Draco? I suggested Virginia to your father this morning for a reason: she's an intelligent, well-raised, Pureblood. She's was even a Slytherin! She's young, she's polite, and you can't deny that the girl's beautiful." She took in her son's unimpressed expression. "Well, no matter, I could always send her home and call the Creeveys - how about that?" she hissed. "Olivia Creevey. Older than you, ex-Hufflepuff, plain, from what I've heard, _mudblood_...Is that what you want?"

Draco grimaced. "No, Mother. Forgive me." Narcissa nodded sharply, and released him.

"Go and take her on the tour. And not a word." Draco nodded meekly.

*.*.*.*.*

{Reviews are very much appreciated!}


	3. Chapter 3

{Thank you so much for the review RubyMoon838 – hope you enjoy this chapter}

Chapter Three

Lucius watched the girl sitting before him carefully, having given up any pretense of subtly a few minutes ago. While Narcissa was still talking to Draco, presumably about his noticeable lack of manners at dinner, Lucius had taken his guests into the drawing room, pouring coffee for Antoinette and brandy for himself and Charles. Virginia had declined a drink, earning herself a stiff glare from her mother, which Lucius had noted with vague amusement and a wry smile. He would have done the same to Draco, although inexplicably the girl's refusal hadn't offended him in the slightest.

But now he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up conversation with Mr and Madam Renwick, so caught up was he with watching their daughter. The girl was perched on one end of a sofa, opposite the armchair he had placed himself in. She looked a tad nervous, which, he had to admit, was understandable. It had been clear at dinner that she didn't know why she was there, which put her at a distinct disadvantage.

She kept her eyes down modestly, and he wondered if she could feel him watching her. _Probably_ , he thought. Beauxbatons girls normally had a sixth sense for these things, as far as he could tell from past experience. But this one was different, and he felt almost _guilty_ lumping her in with the flirtatious, often promiscuous, young women he'd come to associate with the French Academy in his younger years.

He watched her with interest, bordering on _fascination_ , from the corners of his eyes as the corners of her lips rose in a small smile as her father concluded an anecdote he'd been telling Lucius. Lucius smiled in return, and let out a small, dignified laugh, although he hadn't really been paying any attention to the story, which sounded vaguely amusing at best, dreadfully dull at worst.

Luckily for him, he was saved from having to make comment by the return of his wife and son. Draco was looking suitably chastised, he noted approvingly, and both he and Charles Renwick rose to welcome Narcissa into the room. These social niceties had been engrained in him at a young age, and he didn't even think about them anymore, but was happy to note that the Renwicks observed them too.

"Virginia," Draco began awkwardly, and Lucius cringed at his son's lack of eloquence. "Would you join me for a tour?" His voice was stiff and embarrassingly unenthusiastic. Lucius was almost tempted to take the girl outside himself. _Almost_...

Virginia smiled politely and rose, smoothing the skirt of her dress over her shapely legs. "There's a chill in the air at this time of year," Draco continued, his tone distant, having noticed the flimsy material of her dress. "Shall I fetch your travelling cloak?"

"No, no, that won't do," Narcissa cut in, her clear voice ringing, her tone soft. "Virginia can't wear a _travelling_ cloak for a tour. No, Virginia come with me for a moment, I shall lend you a shawl for your walk." She smiled encouragingly at Virginia, and Lucius marveled at the sight. _She must really like her..._ His wife was notoriously difficult to please.

He watched as Narcissa took Virginia's arm, in the manner of an old friend, and led her from the room, heading towards the staircase. Draco perched uncomfortably on the edge of the chair she'd vacated, and made no effort to start a conversation with his future parents-in-law.

*.*.*.*.*

"Let's see," Narcissa hummed to herself, searching through the many pieces in her armoire for something suitable for Virginia to wear. Virginia stood behind her, hands clasped in front of her from a mixture of nerves and discomfort. _Should I make conversation?_ she wondered. _Would that be presumptuous?_

She took in her surroundings subtly, knowing better than to stare or look too closely at any of Narcissa's personal belongings. The older woman's bedroom was quite something though, even though Virginia had a restricted view from where she was standing. The room was decorated in cream and pale pinks, serving as quite a contrast to the other parts of the Manor Virginia had seen so far. This room was obviously a woman's space.

It came as no surprise to her that Lucius and Narcissa didn't share a bedroom; if her own parents and parents of her friends were anything to go by, the older aristocratic pureblood families often didn't. She was also aware that many men in the same social circles as her father and Lucius Malfoy took mistresses and had numerous affairs outside of their marriages, especially when their wives were pregnant. Although her own father had never been with other women, as far as she knew, she had heard numerous complaints from her roommates at Beauxbatons, that their fathers, who normally spoiled them rotten, would go through phases of buying them nothing because they were busy with their _other_ women.

"There, what do you think of this one?" Narcissa asked, turning to face her with a beautiful cape, dark pink in colour, with what looked like diamonds studding the neckline.

"It's lovely," Virginia replied, trying to keep the edge of surprise from her voice. She hadn't expected Narcissa to offer her anything so obviously expensive to borrow. The older woman stepped nearer, unclasping the fastening, and reached around to drape the cape over Virginia's shoulders, before stepping back to inspect her.

"Beautiful," she murmured, circling her in much the same way her mother had earlier in the evening. Virginia stood still and smiled, a genuine smile this time. She didn't know why Mrs Malfoy was being so nice to her, but she didn't want it to end any time soon. "It matches your dress perfectly. In fact-" Narcissa disappeared for a moment through a small door adjacent to the armoire, and reemerged holding a pair of cream heels: "These will go perfectly, don't you think?"

Virginia only just stopped her jaw from dropping. She really was taken aback. "Yes, Mrs Malfoy, that's so kind of you..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say or do next.

"Darling, please, call me Narcissa." Virginia nodded and slipped her shoes off, setting the light pink ballet slippers to the side as Narcissa dropped to her knees before her and helped her step into the heels. They were slightly too big, but with a quick charm they fitted perfectly. Narcissa rose, looking very pleased with herself, and gently grasped Virginia's shoulder, turning her to face her reflection in the mirror.

Virginia took in her reflection, smiling gratefully at the woman behind her own image. The cape matched her dress perfectly, and the shoes set off the outfit strikingly. She was still wondering _why_ exactly Narcissa was so keen she look good, but was grateful nonetheless. It had been a long time since anyone had taken time to play dress-up with her, not since her days at Beauxbatons, much less her own mother, who only took enough interest to scorn her and berate her choices in clothing.

"Thank you, Narcissa, you're very kind," she said, the almost musical lilt in her voice which she'd been taught at Beauxbatons more pronounced in the presence of company. Narcissa smiled warmly at her, and patted her shoulders fondly.

*.*.*.*.*

Lucius, Draco, and her father all rose when she entered the room, and Draco went to meet her, taking her arm in his. Nobody noticed the way Lucius' eyes darkened slightly with lust, seeing this beautiful young woman in a cloak he hadn't seen his wife wear in years. He quickly tore his eyes away from her, scalding himself for allowing the old fires to rekindle within him, and cleared his throat, offering the Renwicks more drinks.

"You look lovely," Draco offered stiffly, as he led Virginia away from the room and towards the back of the house.

"Thank you, Draco," Virginia replied, her voice soft. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy, who clearly didn't want to have had anything to do with the dinner party, let alone be giving her a tour. She felt a sudden urge to ask him why his parents had invited them, but pushed the thoughts aside briskly: that would be highly inappropriate. Instead, she waited to see if he'd make conversation, content to walk quietly if he didn't.

Draco let go of her arm to open a set of double doors, which led out onto a terrace, beyond which Virginia assumed were the gardens, although in the darkness she couldn't see very clearly. Draco pulled out his wand, and muttered a spell, which provided them with slightly more light. In all truth, he was unsure what exactly his father expected him to show the girl: Malfoy Manor didn't _have_ gardens, only high hedges lining the boundaries of the estate.

The pair stood awkwardly on the terrace, looking out into the darkness of the night. Draco's thoughts turned, not for the first time that evening, to the Marriage Law, and he wondered why Virginia hadn't already been paired with someone else. A flash of hope struck him - what if she was already betrothed, and that was the reason she was so confused about having been invited this evening? She was sixteen, within the age boundaries, unmarried, pureblood...It made no sense. Unless...

"When did you say you say you came to England?" he asked abruptly, taking Virginia by surprise.

"When I was fourteen," she answered. "Father wanted me to take my OWLs in Britain."

"And before that? You had always lived in France?"

She nodded, nonplussed as to why he was suddenly taking such an interest in information she had already relayed to his mother at dinner, when Draco clearly hadn't been listening. "Yes, although I visited England and Scotland in the holidays, to see my father's family and practice my English."

Draco nodded curtly, and turned to face away from the house again; that explained it. She probably wasn't on the Ministry's radar, having spent the majority of her life in France. _Dammit_ , he cursed under his breath, hoping she wouldn't hear him.

"Have I said something wrong?" Virginia asked quietly, alarmed at Draco's mutterings, although this was more like the boy she'd observed from afar at Hogwarts. He clenched his jaw and shook his head quickly.

"No, forgive me." He regarded her intensely for a moment. His mother was right - she was beautiful, especially standing here in the moonlight, although Draco was no hopeless romantic. Her dark hair shone in the dim light, slightly tousled from the breeze, and her almond-shaped, grey eyes returned his probing gaze with an air of kindness which he hadn't appreciated before. In another time, he would have found her chiseled jaw line, small chin and heart-shaped face highly attractive. _Stunning,_ even. But she was no Pansy. And he wanted Pansy.

"Come, let's go back inside," Draco commanded, his tone firm, like his father's, and he reached out to take Virginia's arm again, clearly hoping to keep up appearances for his parents' sake.

They walked in silence back to the drawing room, where to their surprise, only Mr and Madam Renwick were seated. Charles rose to greet them: "Draco, your parents asked me to tell you that they'd like to see you in your father's study, while we speak with Virginia."

"Thank you, Mr Renwick," Draco replied, a hint of worry in his reply, and he dropped Virginia's arm, almost rudely, lacking the watchful eyes of his parents, before hurrying from the room.

"We have zome news," Madam Renwick announced, a triumph gleam unmistakable in her eyes, and her father gestured for her to sit. Before Virginia had even had a chance to gather her thoughts, her mother hit her with what felt like a thunder-bolt: "You are to marry Draco Malfoy!"

*.*.*.*.*

"Draco, enter." Lucius cold voice rang across the length of his office, and Draco entered warily, crossing to where his father sat at his mahogany desk, his mother standing to his side, her hand resting on his shoulder, the image of a dutiful wife.

"Yes, Father?" Draco asked, his eyes darting between his parents' faces, trying to discern what might be going on, although he had a pretty good idea.

"We've made a decision," Lucius announced, as if it had never been Draco's choice at all. _Which it hadn't_ , Draco thought bitterly. Despite his mother claiming earlier that they wanted him to "meet Virginia" and "see if he liked her", he had always known deep down that his opinion didn't matter, not if his parents liked her.

"Yes, Father?" he asked, gulping. His hands gripped the back of the chair he stood behind, his knuckles turning white with nerves he was desperately trying to hide from his mother's scrutiny.

"Virginia will make a fine bride for you, Draco. Her parents have agreed. You are to be married. Next week."

*.*.*.*.*

"You are to marry Draco Malfoy," Virginia's mother repeated impatiently, when her daughter made no move to break her stunned silence after a few seconds. " _Poussin_ , answer me," she demanded, although she'd asked no question.

Virginia raised her eyes to meet her mother's, before glancing towards her father for affirmation. He raised a thick eyebrow at her, but kept his typical stony silence, watching his wife and daughter from afar.

"Mother, I...I wasn't aware that..."

"Ze British Ministry of Magic has implemented a Marriage Law," her mother explained briefly, "And ze Malfoys have chosen you for their son." She regarded her daughter coldly, noting her lack of emotional response with harsh disapproval. "Vell, aren't you happy, _poussin_?" she demanded. "You should be honored!"

"But, Maman," Virginia began, "I am only seventeen. I don't know Draco, or the Malfoy family..."

"So?" her mother retorted, shrugging in a very French way. "I vas seventeen when I was betrothed to your father. I didn't know him. It is," she paused to think of the word she wanted: "Irrelevant."

"Maman, I..." she shook her head in disbelief. She'd been right in thinking that something more was going on, her intuitions spot on. "Why do they want me?" she asked finally, thinking about Pansy Parkinson, and the other girls she'd seen Draco with in the Slytherin Common Room.

"Good question!" her mother exclaimed cruelly, before resuming her serious expression. "Ze English girls have been paired with others. Also, you are from a good family, a pure bloodline, you are," her mother hesitated to say it, " _Beautiful_ , and your father does business with Lucius. It is a perfect match."

Virginia was too shocked to say anything more. She'd always half-expected her parents to arrange a marriage for her, although she'd hoped that the aristocratic tradition would have died out by the time she came of age. But she'd never thought it would come so soon. "I am only just seventeen..." she repeated helplessly, looking to her father, but Charles Renwick merely looked away.

The three Renwicks were interrupted by a rap on the door of the drawing room: as if on cue, Lucius and Narcissa had returned. Narcissa took in Virginia's pale expression with slight concern, although it didn't surprise her. She had hoped for, but not expected, a positive reaction from the girl.

She took a seat next to Lucius on a couch, opposite where their guests were seated. Virginia, prompted by her mother, changed seats to be part of the group. She was pleased to note that Draco had not returned to the room.

"May I assume that your parents have told you our news?" Lucius asked, addressing Virginia directly for only the second time that evening, although he'd been watching her keenly for most of it. Virginia could only nod numbly in answer.

"We have a proposition for you," Narcissa said, her voice unusually gentle, and she waited until Virginia met her eyes before continuing. "We are very aware that we've... _sprung_ this upon you, and we know that you don't know our son very well. So, we would like to invite you to stay with us here in the Manor until the wedding, so as to get to know Draco better." Virginia's eyes widened. "You will have your own room," Narcissa continued quickly, "And you are welcome to have your personal house-elves sent over, along with your other possessions. We want to make you comfortable here."

"'Sent over'"? Virginia asked, picking up on perhaps the most mundane detail.

Narcissa nodded. "Well yes, there seems little point in sending you home at such a late hour, when the wedding is approaching so quickly. We'd like you to move in tonight."

"I-"

"Virginia, your manners," her mother berated, trying to keep her tone light in front of the Malfoys, although she was fooling no one. "It is a very kind offer, you must accept."

"I...Thank you, Mr Malfoy, Narcissa," Virginia stuttered at last, trying for a smile which came out like a grimace.

"Call me Lucius," Lucius commanded, his velvet voice sending shivers down Virginia's back. She was about to move in with these people...She'd known them only hours...

Charles Renwick chose this moment to find his voice again, and again Lucius was forced to tear his eyes away from the girl. "We'd best be leaving now," he said, rising to his feet, and Antoinette followed his lead, reaching down to swipe a stray lock of hair behind her daughter's ear before she left her in the hands of strangers.

"We will send your belongings, and Mimi and Bron," her mother told her. "Her house-elves," she explained to Narcissa and Lucius. In fact, this was only half-true: Bron was not _her_ house-elf, but her mother clearly wanted to create the impression that they had as many servants as the Malfoys did, when in fact they had only seven.

"Very well," her father cut in, bending awkwardly to kiss his daughter on the top of her head. Antoinette did the same, and with that, Narcissa and Lucius escorted them from the room, leaving Virginia alone in the drawing room.

*.*.*.*.*

{Please leave me a review, I'd really appreciate it!}


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Virginia waited in the drawing room, never even shifting positions, completely numb with shock, until Narcissa came back a few minutes later and escorted her to the room which was to be hers. It took Virginia a few minutes once she'd been left alone in the large space to realize that she could still be in this room forty years from now. And that was when she began to cry.

She couldn't bring herself to lie on the king-sized bed just yet - the ample supply of cushions had been arranged so neatly that she couldn't bear to disturb them. It struck her that the Malfoys must have either assumed that she would be their choice for Draco before she arrived, or have been seeing other girls before her, to have this room already set up for someone to move in. Although her mother seemed to think that she should have been honored to have been chosen, she couldn't feel that way about it.

The truth was, despite her tears, Virginia was angry. Angry that her parents had done this to her, without even prior warning. Angry that she'd left her childhood home this morning and wouldn't be returning for Merlin-knew how long, if at all. Angry that she was expected to live with people who might have well have been total strangers, only hours after meeting them. Angry that she would be married, and soon, judging by what Narcissa had said.

And she was scared. She couldn't help it, although she knew she should be stronger than that. She was scared of what her life was becoming, scared about how she would be expected to live. Scared about her upcoming... _marriage_. And, she had to admit, if not _scared,_ certainly intimidated by Lucius Malfoy. The way he'd been watching her, it felt as if _all evening_...She'd tried to avert her gaze, not meet his stares, but she had felt his cold eyes on her. At first she'd thought she was imagining it, but by the end of the evening she'd been certain. It was unnerving and set her hairs on edge, although now, in light of the true purpose of their dinner, she hoped he was only _assessing_ her as a bride for his son.

Growing slightly warm from the exertion of crying, Virginia kicked off the heels Narcissa had leant her, and tugged on the fastening of the cape. With her high emotions, she was tempted to toss the thing across the room, but it wasn't hers to mistreat, so she laid it carefully across the back of a chair. Besides, she liked Narcissa, despite herself, and she needed to have at least one ally in this house.

Glancing at the excessively grand clock standing in the corner of the room, Virginia decided to take herself to bed, as it was pushing eleven, and frankly she was exhausted. She knew it would be hard to turn her mind off and sleep, but she was determined to try; all she wanted after the day she'd had was forget about it, and drift off to some place better.

She washed her face in the pristine, white marble ensuite bathroom, before pulling back the top two layers of the bed sheets and crawling in, resting her head on the nest of cushions. It wasn't hard to get comfortable, and despite her distress and anxiety, Virginia soon found herself slipping into troubled sleep.

*.*.*.*.*

Narcissa paced the corridor outside Virginia's room, trying to decide what she would say to the girl. She was normally good with words, but this was different. She had read the girl's face the night before as she took her to her room, and although she had maintained a dignified composure worthy of her pureblood status, she had recognized in her the same fear and distress that she had felt all those years earlier, when her parents had told her that she was to be married to a perfect stranger.

She had waited a few hours since she'd woken, but considering she was accustomed to rising at dawn this still rendered it relatively early for most other people, and at nearly nine, she was still concerned about disturbing Virginia in a state of undress, or perhaps even still asleep after the drama of the night before.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked lightly on the solid oak door, and leaned in to hear a response. "Virginia?" she called after a minute of silence had passed, "It's Narcissa. May I come in?"

She heard a slight shuffling noise from within, and the door opened. Virginia stood before her, wrapped in a cream coloured blanket, her feet bare. Narcissa's eyes widened a fraction as she slipped into the room and shut the door behind her quickly. "I'm sorry-" Virginia stuttered, acutely embarrassed by her lack of suitable attire, "I overslept, and I didn't have anything to wear. My dress from last night has gone..."

"Not at all, darling," Narcissa reassured, her voice liquid sugar, but genuinely eager to comfort Virginia's pained expression. "It's my fault, I told the house-elves to take your dress to be washed. And I didn't think to stock your wardrobe before your trunk came. Wait here a minute-" she ordered, and disappeared out of the room, leaving Virginia once again surprised at her kindness. One would have been forgiven for mistaking the air of aristocratic sophistication in her voice for snobbery, but Virginia was familiar with her own mother's sneering tones, and Narcissa's were distinctly kinder.

Narcissa returned a minute later, carrying a black tea dress, patterned with white flowers, and showed it to Virginia: "Do you like it? You can always change later, when your trunk arrives..."

"Thank you," Virginia said, grateful at the older woman's thoughtfulness. The dress wasn't something she'd normally have worn; her mother disapproved of young women wearing dark colours, other than for serious occasions, believing pastels to be more fitting and attractive. After all, attracting a man of status had always been Antoinette's primary aim.

"I'll give you a minute to change, and then I'd like to talk to you, if I may?"

"Of course," Virginia nodded, and hurried into the bathroom. She slipped the dress over her head, and found that where it was a tad big, by tying the fabric belt more tightly she could maintain some of its shape. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, and tried to flatten her hair as best she could. She normally used a charm to sort her hair, but her wand was in the main bedroom, and she didn't fancy having to perform the charm in front of Narcissa. Resigning herself to her rather disheveled appearance, she made her way back into the bedroom area, where Narcissa had taken a seat on one of the love seats by the end of the bed.

"Come and sit," she invited, smiling in approval at the dress. It was cinched in at the middle, and accentuated Virginia's slim waist perfectly. "You really are very pretty," she commented lightly, and Virginia smiled weakly in thanks.

"How did you sleep?" Narcissa enquired, turning to face Virginia head on.

Virginia nodded, forcing a small smile. "Well, thank you."

"And you're happy with this room?"

"Oh yes, it's lovely. Thank you again."

"Good." Narcissa tilted her head to the side, and regarded Virginia closely. "You've been crying..."

"No, I-"

"Darling, it wasn't an accusation," she reassured softly, and Virginia's gaze fell downwards. She looked as if she was holding back tears. Narcissa sighed. "I haven't always been known as the... _nicest_ , or _kindest_ of women. I know what my reputation is, whether you've heard of it or not. There are many things I can't refute. But, if there's one thing I am, it's devoted to my family. And, although I doubt you see it this way yet, you're soon to be part of my family. I've never had a daughter..." She paused, and Virginia detected a hint of sadness in her voice before she continued: "I don't want you to be unhappy here." She reached over and took Virginia's hand in hers. "I'm here if you need anything. You must have questions...?"

Virginia's eyes finally met hers, and she swallowed back the tears that had been threatening to fall. "I...It's all happened so quickly..."

"I know." Narcissa nodded sympathetically. "May I take it that your parents hadn't told you?"

Virginia nodded. "They just said we'd been invited to dinner here - I didn't know why. I didn't even know there was a marriage law..."

"The new Law took even Lucius by surprise, actually."

The two sat in an amicable silence for a moment. "When did you say the wedding would be, Narcissa?"

"Next week. It has to be soon under the Ministry Regulations. Lucius has suggested Monday, unless you'd rather another day...?"

"No, Monday's fine." Virginia answered quickly, swallowing the lump in her throat. "And I'm to stay here until then?"

"Yes. Which reminds me - your parents have sent along your house-elves. Your trunk should arrive any time now." Virginia smiled at this - she was very fond of Mimi, who'd been with her family since she was a child.

"Until the wedding," Narcissa continued, "We want to get to know you. And for you to get to know us. You didn't have much to do with Draco at Hogwarts?"

"I didn't," Virginia agreed, thinking back to their only moment of interaction, when he'd shouted at her to move. "What would you have me do until Monday?"

Narcissa thought about it. "We could start with a tour of the house today? Lucius doesn't like to be disturbed in the mornings, and he is often away from the Manor in the afternoons. With this morning as an exception, we'll expect to see you at breakfast, and we dine formally at eight in the evening. I doubt that you'll see my husband at any other time most days. As for Draco...I don't think it would be fair to say that he's got used to the idea of this marriage quite yet. I'd like to give you two some time to get to know one another."

"What does Draco do during the day?" Virginia asked, hoping it wasn't too impertinent a question.

"Lucius is training Draco in the family business. He often goes out to meet with the less... _important_ clients, and inspect property for his father. Honestly, Virginia, I barely see them aside from meals." Virginia nodded in understanding. She knew that her mother barely saw her father most days. It was the way it was. "I find ways to keep myself busy, and I hope you won't become too bored. I know that you've been studying since leaving school - we have a large library here. I also have various friends who visit, and whom I pay visits to. I must admit, in recent months I've become quite the patron of Diagon Alley." She smiled at Virginia. "I really do want you to be happy here. If there's anything you'd like to do...?"

"You're very kind, Narcissa, but I'm used to spending time alone. You really don't need to worry about entertaining me. The things you've mentioned sound lovely."

"You must feel welcome to invite friends to visit you. Who were you close with at Hogwarts?"

Virginia looked down, and shifted uncomfortably. She hated to admit that her two years at Hogwarts had been lonely ones. "I haven't kept in touch with friends from Hogwarts," she answered. "My closest friend still attends Beauxbatons, I write to her regularly..."

Narcissa smiled in sympathy. It was easy to forget how relatively little time Virginia had spent at Hogwarts. "Well, some of my friends have daughters, similar to your age. Many of them were tutored by governesses. I'm sure you'd get on very well with some of them."

Virginia smiled gratefully. "May I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"When you married Lucius..."

"I was eighteen."

"And was it...?"

Narcissa nodded. "Yes, it was arranged by our parents." She sighed. "It was frightening. Lucius was a stranger to me - well, I'm sure you can relate to that...I remember feeling so...vulnerable. Powerless, even."

"But everything was...OK?" Virginia finished lamely. Narcissa merely smiled.

"I think it was easier for us than it is for young people today - we always expected an arranged marriage. I don't know if you did..."

"Not really."

"Draco certainly didn't. Until a couple of days ago, that is."

"Is Lucius much older than you?"

"Four years." Virginia nodded. "After the marriage, what will I be expected to do?"

"What I do," Narcissa laughed, and it almost sounded bitter. "Keep out of the men's way. Look pretty when they want to see you. Obey them. Only speak when spoken to. Bear their children. Of course, they think we do nothing all day. But we won't. We'll make the best of it." Virginia was strangely comforted by Narcissa's use of "we".

"I'm looking forward to having you around, Virginia."

*.*.*.*.*

"These are the House-Elf quarters-" Narcissa broke off, and both she and Virginia stood still, as Lucius' voice was heard coming from within. It was now nearly eleven o'clock, and Narcissa had assumed her husband to be in his study as she guided Virginia around the Manor. The House-Elf quarters were their last stop on the tour.

She put a firm hand on Virginia's arm and began to lead her away, but stopped again as Lucius' voice grew louder - he was clearly angry. Narcissa audibly swallowed. If Lucius was in one of his rages, Virginia certainly needed to be kept away. She began to walk away, trusting that Virginia would follow her lead, but the girl didn't move. She was leaning toward the direction of the shouting, and suddenly made for the door leading into the quarters.

"Virginia!" Narcissa called after her, but the girl didn't stop, and she was forced to follow her.

"I can hear Mimi," Virginia explained over her shoulder, following the sound of her cries. "Mimi? Mimi?!" She stopped short and gasped when she found her, cowering behind a table leg. Her eyes darted up, and she found Lucius glowering down at her house-elf, his lip curled in a cruel, sadistic sneer. He turned suddenly to face Narcissa and Virginia, noting how Narcissa had grabbed Virginia's arm to hold her back: the girl looked like she would throw herself between her elf and his cane if it came to it.

"What did you do to her?" Virginia practically screeched, spotting the cut on Mimi's brow, and shocking even herself with her tone. She tried to wriggle free of Narcissa's firm hold, but the older woman was surprisingly strong. Lucius slammed his cane against the table leg, making both Virginia and the elf jump, and effectively blocking them off from one another.

"Your _elf_ , Virginia," he spat, "Needed to be punished. I took the liberty myself. I'm certain you don't object to that?" It wasn't a question.

Virginia opened her mouth to protest, but felt Narcissa tighten her grip on her arm, as if in warning, and she remembered what she had told her earlier. The pure anger in Lucius' cold eyes terrified her. She shook her head mutely, cursing her own cowardice. "Excellent," Lucius sneered. "I would hate to for you to think badly of me - I was merely doing what was necessary." His gaze shot up to his wife. "Narcissa, take Virginia someplace else, please. Her trunk has just arrived. This _creature_ can assist her with it when I'm finished with her."

"Come, Virginia," Narcissa commanded, tugging on her arm. Virginia's eyes welled with tears as she met the petrified eyes of Mimi. Her parents were hardly House-Elf activists, but they rarely 'punished' the elves, and Mimi had never been abused in such a way.

"Please, please stop," she begged as Narcissa pulled her away. "Please!" Lucius muttered a spell and the door slammed in the two women's faces.

*.*.*.*.*

Virginia could barely look at Mimi when she was finally allowed to help her mistress unpack. She had begged Narcissa to ask Lucius to stop, but the older woman told her it was useless, and refused to go back. Seeing that Virginia was angry, she decided to give her some time alone, and sent Bron up with her trunk. It was now nearly dinner time, and Virginia knew that in only a few minutes she'd be forced to face the Malfoys once again. This time, all at once.

She had changed, at Narcissa's suggestion, in a vanilla coloured bateau-neck dress, which stopped just above the knee. She stood before the floor length mirror, and brushed her hair methodically, trying to calm her breathing as she faced her reflection. Her eye lids were a little swollen from her tears earlier, and her face was pale. She pinched her cheeks to bring some colour into them, a trick her mother had taught her before she was allowed to wear make-up, or learn beauty-charms.

Her mother had spent many years trying to teach her daughter _l'art de la séduction,_ but the majority of her tips had been wasted on Virginia, who could think of nothing more vain or foolish than learning how to, for instance, lower one's eyes in a certain manner to charm a man, or how to style one's hair parting to best attract a wealthy husband. She had never seen eye-to-eye with her mother.

Glancing at the clock, Virginia decided to make her way down to the dining hall, albeit reluctantly. She didn't want to risk angering Lucius further after the incident earlier, and Narcissa had said that they dined "formally" in the evenings.

When she reached the entrance hall, it struck her that she'd been in this Manor for twenty-four hours now. A draught of cold air hit her and she crossed her arms, rubbing her upper arms as she carried on walking towards the dining room. She couldn't remember ever having been in a colder house.

*.*.*.*.*


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Lucius drummed his fingers impatiently on the wooden table. Although she wasn't technically _late_ yet, Virginia was pushing it - the clock was going to strike eight any second now. Lucius Malfoy did not like to be kept waiting.

His cold eyes bore into his wife, seated mutely opposite him. In the absence of the girl herself to take out his frustration on, he stared at Narcissa, waiting for her to meet his gaze, which she was stubbornly avoiding. She'd been wary of him since the incident with the elf earlier; he recognized this type of behaviour from her. The fear had been much more common in the earliest years of their marriage, but occasionally reappeared, at times like these.

She finally glanced towards him, and he raised an eyebrow, the tapping of his long fingers slowing ominously. Narcissa's eyes darted to the clock. "It's not quite eight yet, Husband." _Husband_ , Lucius thought sneeringly. _She_ must _be on edge tonight_.

"I am aware of that," he drawled, his eyes narrowing. He didn't miss Narcissa's small gulp. "Thank you, _wife._ "

Draco, who had been sitting to Lucius' right, chose this moment to cough. Lucius turned on him: "Manners, boy!" he snarled. In all honesty, Lucius wasn't entirely sure why he was in such an utterly foul mood. Business was prosperous at the moment, he'd made significant financial gains that very day. He'd even taken out a slight annoyance on the girl's elf - it had been in his way. _It won't make that mistake again_ , he mused.

Something was bothering him, something he couldn't quite place. Something about _her_. The girl. _Virginia_. Aside from the elf-incident, he hadn't had anything to do with her since the dinner of the previous night, but he couldn't shake her from his thoughts. The way she'd looked in Narcissa's cloak when she'd appeared in the doorway, her modest demeanor, her elegant beauty - _Stop it, Lucius!_ , he scolded himself. _She's for Draco_.

The clock struck eight. Lucius inhaled a sharp breath, and slammed his fist down on the table. Narcissa jumped in her seat. Draco flinched, almost unnoticeably. "She's late," he sneered, his tone contemptuously low. "Narcissa, bring her here at once." His wife stood immediately and darted from the room. Draco sat still as a rock, a sour expression plastered across his face. He was still sulking. It was infuriating.

Lucius continued to drum his fingers, the speed increasingly with every second he was kept waiting. The elves lining the room shifted uncomfortably. Fortunately for them, he chose to ignore it. If it had been Narcissa who'd been late... A cruel smirk spread across Lucius' lips - he would have ensured she was punished. He swallowed, and felt a surprising heat rise in him, as images of Virginia flashed through his mind, completely helpless and at his mercy... _Stop it, man_. He repressed the desire growing within him.

*.*.*.*.*

"Virginia," Narcissa called, and the girl hurried her steps to meet the older woman.

"I'm sorry," Virginia panted slightly, "I got lost. I thought I would be early-"

"Come now, Lucius doesn't like to be kept waiting." Narcissa took her arm and led her briskly towards the dining room. The two paused before the closed door, and Narcissa took a minute to straighten the strap of Virginia's dress, before nodding and smiling weakly. As if on cue, the door swung open, and Narcissa stepped in, Virginia on her heels. Draco and Lucius rose, as was custom. There was a tense silence.

Virginia paused before she took her seat, and met Lucius' eyes with bravery: "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Sir." Her nerves were not betrayed by her voice, and Lucius was slightly impressed, despite himself. And, Heaven help him, the way she called him _Sir_... He nodded curtly, and she sat down, the men then following her lead.

The four were served in silence, with only the sounds of silver spoons hitting china to fill the air. Narcissa kept her gaze lowered, although she was surprised that Lucius had said nothing more about Virginia's lateness. Draco fixed his eyes on an imaginary spot on the pristine tablecloth. Virginia smiled in thanks at the house-elves who served her. Lucius watched Virginia intently. He couldn't help himself - the way the candlelight was hitting her cheek bones in that light... _Stop it, Lucius. This is getting ridiculous_.

"Virginia," he said suddenly, taking the others by surprise. She raised her eyes to his in acknowledgment, and was surprised to find that he didn't look angry. His tone had lost its terse edge as well. "Have you settled into your room?"

"I have, thank you, Sir." _Again, 'Sir'..._ Lucius shifted slightly in his chair, the fire growing inside him.

"And it's to your liking?" he asked gruffly. _What was she doing to him...?_

"Very much so." He nodded, and picked up his fork, beginning to eat. His focus on his dinner practically non-existent, however, his eyes quickly found themselves trained on Virginia once again. She glanced up and met his gaze inadvertently, before quickly looking away again. He spotted a faint blush rising in her cheeks. _Am I having a similar effect on her?_ he wondered, half hopefully.

Virginia, meanwhile, was trying her hardest not to do or say anything that might irritate Lucius, while simultaneously attempting not to be too put out by her future husband's coldness. She was convinced that Draco hadn't once acknowledged her, apart from rising when she entered. She could still feel Lucius' eyes on her, and couldn't work out why he was being so... _nice_ , if he was still angry. _Or maybe he's not_ , she mused, but that didn't explain why he was watching her eat so intently. Either way, she tried her hardest not to return his probing gaze, and ate her food quietly.

*.*.*.*.*

The dinner passed uneventfully; the five courses were served with no issues, and no more harsh words were spoken by Lucius, whose temper quickly dissolved as he grew increasingly intrigued by the girl. If anything, he was growing frustrated. If she'd been any other woman, he had to admit to himself, he would have found a way to make clear his desires to her, to have her himself. But she wasn't any other woman: she was to be married to his son. Draco's lack of enthusiasm only served to frustrate his father more.

Lucius' thoughts strayed to his most recent mistress, a young auburn haired woman, Lila. He'd ended things with her over a month ago - she was boring him. He was still with Narcissa once, maybe twice a week, but their passion was no longer present. He hadn't felt the urges he was suffering now for a good while. There really was something about Virginia...And she clearly had no idea what she was doing to him. Which only made it worse, somehow.

As the elves cleared the dessert plates, Lucius made a snap decision: "Virginia, I'd like to see you in my office." The girl's eyes snapped up to meet his, alarm clear in them. She gulped and nodded, and looked to Narcissa, as if for permission, or perhaps reassurance. His wife gave the smallest of nods.

Lucius rose first, followed by his family and Virginia, and waited by the door for Virginia to make her way over to him. She looked petrified. He held the door open for her, and she walked in front of him. Narcissa followed them out, and Lucius watched as she ascended the stairs, shooting Virginia a small smile, Draco heading in the opposite direction, probably to his quarters.

"Come," Lucius commanded, and strode off, Virginia following a few steps behind. Her mind was racing - what did he want? Was she in trouble? She tried to hold her head high as she walked behind him, through the winding corridors, until they reached his study. He held the door open for her, and she stepped in, inhaling his deep, scented cologne as she passed. He didn't leave her much room, and she was forced to come very close to him.

"Have a seat, Virginia," he offered, his velvet voice sending a shiver down her spine. She perched on the edge of the seat he'd indicated, and forced a smile on her face, trying to hide her nerves.

Lucius turned his back on her, and strode over to a side board, pulling a old-looking bottle of something off a shelf. He produced two tumblers, and Virginia could hear the tinkling as whatever it was he was pouring landed on the ice in the glasses. He returned the bottle, and walked back towards her, carrying a tumbler in each hand. The liquid was a deep amber in colour, but Virginia didn't know what it was, only that it looked distinctly alcoholic. Lucius took the seat closest to hers, and handed her a glass. His hand brushed hers as he did so, and she suspected that it wasn't accidental.

Lucius watched as Virginia took the tumbler, and noticed that she didn't take a sip until he had. She drank the smallest amount, and tried to conceal a grimace - he'd given her the strongest brandy he had, one of his personal favorites. He smirked as she swallowed, and gave a small cough. He drained his glass in one go, and saw her pretty grey eyes widen. He set the tumbler down on the table to his left, and Virginia followed, a hand coming quickly up to touch her hair, as it by habit. Perhaps a nervous habit...Lucius found himself longing to feel her hair. _Stop it, man_.

He was finding himself ever more intrigued by her, and leant back in his black leather chair. He placed his elbows on the arms of the chair, and steepled his hands in front of him, as she shifted uncomfortably before him, tugging at the hem of her dress to pull it further over her knees. When she finally met his eyes a minute or so later, she found him stroking his lower lip with his forefinger. She found his silence and the look in his eyes remarkably unnerving.

"I really am sorry I was so late for dinner, Sir," she said after a moment of silence had passed, her soft voice lilting in the charming manner that most Beauxbatons women developed. Despite this, Lucius thought she sounded slightly cold - maybe as a result of her fear, or perhaps she was still upset over her damned house-elf.

"It is forgotten, Virginia," he replied, trying to sound forgiving. Her eyes darted away from his again, and he resigned himself to what must follow. His voice was stiff when he said it: "I'm sorry about our little incident earlier - perhaps you are unused to the nature of our _dominion_ over the house-elves?"

Virginia's eyes met his in surprise, and he saw her trying to work out what to make of this almost-apology. "Uh...Thank you, Sir..." she said at last, uncertainly. Lucius leant forward in his chair; he was less than a meter away from the girl now.

"Call me Lucius." Virginia nodded, and Lucius seized the moment, placing a firm yet gentle hand on his stocking-clad knee. His gaze never left hers, and he saw her eyes widen as she inhaled quickly.

Virginia sat rock still as felt Lucius' hand on her knee. His eyes were dark as he looked into hers, and she hoped her eyes might give away her fear, so that he'd stop. He didn't. She didn't know what to do - normally if a man his age rested a hand on her, she'd assume it was a friendly gesture, but Lucius' expression and the way he'd been watching her so intently had her wondering if it was something more. Not to mention her instinct, which was telling her to get away from him, and as fast as possible.

In fact, if it hadn't been her host, and future father-in-law, touching her, she would have done just that. She would have stood up immediately and told him that she wouldn't stand for such behaviour. She knew as well as anybody that she could come across as meek and mild, but when it came to it, Virginia Renwick had a heart of fire, and a flaming self-respect that rivaled even the most fearsome Gryffindor.

As it was, however, something was stopping her from getting away from this man. It was partially due to her fear of him, partially due to her inbred manners and their guest-host relationship, partially because she knew that whatever she did now she would have to face every time she saw him. And, she had to admit, something slightly more, although it was a minute part of her reasoning, more subconscious than something she was even fully aware of. The way he was looking at her...Intimidating, yes. Frightening, perhaps. But so...intense. It set her heart racing, and if she was being completely honest, not from nerves alone.

So she sat still, and made no move to run from him, as Lucius began to gently caress her leg. His other hand came up to cup her cheek, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath as he exhaled, too close to her cheek to be even vaguely appropriate. Her intuitions were being confirmed - he had been doing more than assessing her all those times she'd felt his gaze on her. She gulped and tried to sit still, like a deer caught in the hunter's path.

"Are you looking forward to marrying my son?" Lucius murmured, his voice reverberating into her ear at such close proximity, and it struck her as a completely incongruous question. She tried to think of a suitable answer, but it was hard to think which him so close to her.

"It came as a surprise to me..." she finally managed, and Lucius ran a long, cold finger across her cheek, letting it rest momentarily on her lip, before he cupped her chin, and pulled away slightly to look at her head on.

"You were my choice for Draco, did you know?" he asked, his voice low and smooth as velvet. A shiver ran down Virginia's spine, and it took all of her strength not to pull back from his intense gaze, or break eye contact. He leaned in close again, his lips tickling her ear. The words he spoke next carried more meaning than Virginia cared to contemplate:

"I always get what I want."

{Aaah, oh Lucius! Please tell me what you think! What would you do if you were Virginia? What do you think Lucius really wants? What's Virginia going to when she finally gets away from him? Will she tell Narcissa?}


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

 _Virginia,_

 _I trust that the house-elves and your belongings reached you?_

 _Narcissa - such a lovely woman - has informed us that your wedding to Draco will take place on Monday - this is tomorrow, Poussin! You must prepare!_

 _I have sent your dress to Narcissa - it is the one I wore, and your grandmother wore before me. Make sure you try it on as soon as possible - it may need to be altered. (It is lucky the Malfoys haven't known you long enough to notice your recent weight-gain, yes Poussin?)_

 _As for tomorrow, we will come to the Manor before the Ceremony, of course, and stay for the Banquet afterwards. I trust that the good-manners your father and I, and Beauxbatons, of course, instilled in you will carry you through tomorrow. It is tomorrow evening which concerns me most, Poussin._

 _I have always tried to be the model for you of what a good wife is - you should be obedient, dutiful, and respectful. Draco will not appreciate a cold and icy wife. You must be your best, no matter how you may feel about him (although really, Poussin, you should be honoured by this match...Ungrateful child)._

 _You must obey your husband, as you obeyed your father while under his roof. There are too many witches these days who believe in this 'equality' business - rubbish! He is your master. You must try to please him, in any way you can. Never tell him 'no'. Be sweet and kind and obedient. None of your stubbornness, Poussin! And never contradict him._

 _He may even be pleased with you._

 _Send Lucius and Narcissa our regards._

Virginia felt tears prick in her eyes and slammed the parchment down, as much as one can slam parchment onto a blanket. She was still in bed, having only just been disturbed by Mimi, who had delivered the letter to her. _How can she be so cruel?_ Virginia asked herself, fighting down the tears that threatened to spill: _My own mother._

Did she really think the letter was helpful, or encouraging? Reassuring it definitely was not, but Antoinette never aimed for comfort or reassurance. Virginia scan-read the letter once again, her moist eyes darting over her mother's writing. There was no maternal love present in the letter, but then, Virginia mused, there never had been.

She had to wonder why her mother had even bothered with most of the letter - she'd drilled it all into her daughter plenty of times before - 'your husband is your master', 'don't be disobedient', 'try to please him - if you can'. Virginia could just hear her mother's harsh French accent as she crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it across the room. It hit the wall and bounced off it, rolling a small distance across the carpet and coming to a stop under her dresser.

The letter had struck a nerve for another reason - it reminded Virginia of the thoughts which had plagued the back of her mind since she'd known about the marriage - the wedding night. She gulped just thinking about it. Especially after last night...

Lucius had leaned in close after he'd said those words... _Those words: "I always get what I want"_. They echoed even now in Virginia's mind, as if he was sitting right behind her, whispering into her ear. It had seemed as if he might kiss her, but he'd pulled back suddenly, his eyes dark and glinting in the light of the fire. He had slowly run his hand down her thigh and to her knee until he removed it from her completely. Virginia was left feeling slightly faint, her heart beating at twice its normal rate as she struggled to look as if she was breathing normally.

Lucius had sat back in his chair, steepling his hands again and watching her, to see what she'd do next. In the end, she got to her feet shakily. "I should retire now, Lucius," she'd said, her voice hoarse. "Thank you for the drink."

He merely nodded, smirking at her flushed face, and watched with pleasure the alluring way her hips swayed naturally as she left his study.

Virginia had shut the door behind her, and refrained from sinking to the ground and burying her head in her hands. She rushed to back up to her room, almost but not quite getting lost in the Manor's maze of cold corridors, splashed her flushed cheeks with cold water, and then got straight into bed. Her mind was racing, her heart wouldn't relent in its hammering within her chest.

And when she'd finally slept, she had been plagued with thoughts of Lucius Malfoy, eventually waking up with a fright after a particularly vivid dream in which he'd tied her to a tree outside in the darkness. A cold sweat covered her as she sat bolt upright among her pillows. And then it hadn't been long before Mimi had come in, wielding the letter.

The thought hit her - breakfast was in less than half an hour... _Merlin_ , Virginia groaned, massaging her temples as she tried to gather her muddled thoughts. Her mind strayed back to the wedding night...

She couldn't imagine how uncomfortable it would be to spend an hour with Draco, who had barely said two words to her since she'd met him, let alone a night. A night _together_. In which certain _things_ were expected to take place.

She shuddered, her mind fluttering back to the way that Lucius, her groom-to-be's _father_ , for Merlin's sake, had touched her leg the night before. It seemed he was more interested in her than his own son...She wondered, not for the first time, what he wanted from her. What had been his true meaning when he uttered those words...? _I always get what I want..._ What did he want exactly?

And, perhaps more importantly, though she was loath to admit it even to herself, what did _she_ want? In retrospect, she thought, it really wouldn't have been hard to get out of the situation Lucius had put her in last night. Even if she'd offended him, what could he have done? He could hardly have revealed to anyone else what he was doing to her to make her leave so suddenly. She'd had the leverage she would have needed to escape his hands, his gaze, but she hadn't. She had stayed where she was, and let him run his hand over her thigh, through the thin material of her dress. It was indecent, and improper, and inappropriate. She had been scared, but from her own reaction as much as because of what Lucius was doing. The way he looked at her...it made her feel attractive, in a way she'd never experienced before. No man had ever looked at her like Lucius did...

Sighing in confusion and worry, Virginia swung her legs off the side of her bed and set about her morning routine, washing quickly before fixing her hair into a simple up-do and donning a pastel pink off-the-shoulder dress, covered in delicate lace. She even spritzed a small amount of perfume onto her neck. Who she was trying to impress, she didn't care to think about, and quickly applied a subtle nude lipstick, before checking the time - five minutes until she was due in the dining room. Determined not to be late again, she set off.

*.*.*.*.*

Narcissa was watching her husband warily out of the bottom of her eye. He was different this morning, and it was rather unnerving. And what with Draco, even more solemn than usual this morning, clearly not enthused by the thought of his wedding tomorrow, the atmosphere in the dining hall as the Malfoys waited for Virginia was tense.

Narcissa couldn't help but wonder what had gone on last night between Lucius and Virginia, in the time between dinner had finished and he'd come into her room, unexpected, later in the evening. Of course, she'd noticed the number of times her husband had been busy watching the girl over dinner, but never suspected the true extent of what was going through his mind as he did so. And then he'd taken her into his study, and she hadn't heard from either of them until Lucius had strode into her quarters a couple of hours, smelling of brandy, or something equally strong, and forced her up against the nearest wall, kissing her with abandon before throwing her down onto the bed, none too gently, and taking her with a passion she hadn't seen in him for many months.

Of course, Narcissa hadn't minded this twist of events in her otherwise mundane evening, but it definitely hadn't been expected. Nonetheless, she was used to Lucius' dominant nature, both in and out of their marriage bed, and had learned to enjoy it. It was just not what she had been expecting, and had left her a little bemused.

Adding to her confusion was the way he'd left so suddenly after their frantic coupling, and barely spoken a word to her this morning. And the way he was watching the door, clearly waiting for Virginia. It was all so strange. Narcissa shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and hoped that the girl wouldn't be late again. She wasn't sure that Lucius would be so restrained a second time.

Thankfully, Virginia appeared a couple of minutes before she was due, and entered the room gracefully, looking slightly calmer than Narcissa had seen her before now - what was going on this morning? She watched as Virginia smiled politely at Draco and Lucius, who had stood to greet her, and didn't miss the glance she exchanged with Lucius as he pulled out her chair for her, and helped her in, ever the gentleman.

Nor did Narcissa miss the waft of delicate perfume that carried down the table to where she was seated. Virginia still looked slightly nervous, and was not completely relaxed in their presence by any means, but the frightened girl of yesterday had vanished. She could only imagine what her husband had said to her last night to calm her down so much...

*.*.*.*.*

Breakfast was eaten in near silence, but this was nothing new. The only difference to the norm was that Lucius barely made a dent in reading his morning paper, whereas more often than not he'd have read the whole thing before the plates were cleared. As had become his custom of late, the girl was far more interesting to him. And she looked _so pretty_ this morning, he thought to himself, almost smugly: _I wonder if that's for my benefit?_

Although Lucius knew that he'd frightened her last night, he also recognized the look he'd seen in her eyes as it dawned on her what he wanted, and he was confident that no young woman, however well-born and dignified, could resist his _charm_. His aristocratic arrogance, he had always thought, was part of this very charm, which had had so many witches fall to him in the past. When he set his mind to something, he got it. With no exceptions. In Lucius Malfoy's experience, in the business world, there was nowhere that money or intimidation couldn't get you. And with women, there was nowhere that a glass of brandy and firm caress wouldn't get you access to. Although it might take longer with some than others, women always gave in to him. It was never a matter of force - they always ended up wanting it as much as he did. That was his power.

When the four had finished eating, Lucius rose and left with Draco in tow; he had some business to attend to before noon, but planned to leave Draco and Virginia some time alone today - after all, he mused, tomorrow they'd be husband and wife.

"I've been invited to an old friend's today, Virginia," Narcissa told her once the door had shut behind the men. Her tone was warm, and betrayed none of her suspicions, which were barely formed yet. "Under normal circumstances she would extend the invitation to you, but she's in somewhat of a... _state_ at the moment, and she's asked that I attend her alone." Virginia nodded, relieved at the prospect of some time alone herself today.

"I am sorry to leave you alone," Narcissa continued, "But I believe that Lucius plans to return Draco this afternoon so that the two of you can spend some time together. Until then...the Manor is yours. Make use of the house-elves..." She struggled to think of things to suggest for Virginia, but the girl cut in reassuringly:

"I have some letters I'd like to write, Narcissa. Don't worry about me." Narcissa smiled fondly at her, and they left the dining hall together.

"What time is Draco expecting me?" Virginia asked as Narcissa was putting on her travelling cloak.

"I think about three o'clock?" Narcissa half-guessed, "Some time after lunch. I'm sure he'll come and find you though - just do what you like until then." She leant down and gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading to the apparition point, leaving Virginia alone in the Manor.

*.*.*.*.*

Virginia returned to her room, determined to make the most of her time alone to gather her thoughts and finally get round to writing to her friend from Beauxbatons - she didn't even know about the wedding, and Virginia was saddened that she wouldn't be able to leave the Academy to attend.

She'd known Adriene Deniau since they were eleven, and had been close friends since, although had barely seen each other in recent months. Adriene was Virginia's mirror - where Virginia was introverted, Adriene was the centre of the party (and a regular hostess); where Adriene acted intuitively, Virginia never made a decision without long hours of contemplation. Where Virginia was prone to over-thinking her worries, Adriene lived with a light-heart, flitting like a swift bird from one moment to the next, and where Virginia was polite, having been raised by strict parents, and an only child, Adriene had been the forth of five daughters, and had grown up shouting to be heard, a habit which she had only shaken in her teenage years. In short, Adriene was the fire to Virginia's water, and as a pair the girls had made a formidable team at Beauxbatons.

Separated, Virginia felt the loss deeply, and had made every effort to visit her friend regularly whilst at Hogwarts. But with the war, and being pulled out of the school, her mother had banned trips, and had even, Virginia later learned, been intercepting the girls' letters to each other, in fear that they may be trying to organize a secret meeting. Virginia had never forgiven her mother for that - amongst many, many other occasions.

She settled herself at her desk, and found some ink, laying down the parchment, and began writing in French:

 _Adriene,_

 _I miss you so dreadfully, Addy! Oh, so much has happened - I wish you were here._

 _Two days ago, my parents received an invitation to dinner at Malfoy Manor - have you heard of the Malfoys? I expect you have, they have been quite notorious. My father did business with Lucius Malfoy - in fact, your father probably has as well. Lucius' son, Draco, was two years ahead of me at Hogwarts, so I never had anything to with him, until now._

 _As you can imagine - you've met my parents - they didn't tell me anything. Mother dressed me up, and we apparated to the house - it is so grand, Addy. I feel like I could lose myself in the dark halls and never be found. I met Lucius, and Draco, and Mrs Malfoy - Narcissa is lovely. It's the father and son who worry me._

 _You see, Addy, it was later revealed to me why I was there at all - they want me to marry Draco! No, more than that - I am being forced to marry him! Tomorrow. Apparently, there is some 'marriage law' here in Britain, and Lucius chose me for his son - it seems all the English girls were taken, or so Mother says. I have no choice in the matter. Why would I?_

 _So the Malfoys asked me (really, told me), that I am to stay with them until the wedding, supposedly to get to know them, although I haven't spent more than a minute with Draco. As I said, Narcissa is a lovely woman, and I feel I have an ally in this house, but Lucius...Lucius._

 _He has been watching me, Addy. It's across between the way that boys watch you when you throw your parties, and the way that a hunter watches his prey. It's disconcerting. It's so strange, Addy. Men have never looked at me the way Lucius does. It's put me so on edge, and this is from the very first night. His eyes have been on me every time I've been near him._

 _He is not a gentle man, nor does he seem to be a kind one. On my first morning in the Manor I came across him beating Mimi with his cane. Even Narcissa seems a little afraid of him. He is simply intimidating. Any manner of crime could be hidden behind those eyes of his, and I don't care to think what he's done, or seen, in the past._

 _And then, last night, we had dinner, the four of us, as is their custom. I was late because I had got lost before hand, and I was so scared that he would be angry with me - but he wasn't. I could feel his eyes on mine as I ate, and then afterwards he asked me to come to his study with him. I couldn't breathe as I followed him, Addy._

 _He gave me a drink - brandy, perhaps? You would know much better than I! And then...Addy, what I am to tell you next must remain strictly between us, because I would not want anyone else to know of it. Lucius started to run his hand up and down by thigh, caressing my knee. He stroked my cheek, and even touched my lip at one point. He was so close to me, it was suffocating. And then he whispered into my ear: "I always get what I want"._

 _The problem, Addy, is that I don't know what he wants. I'm so confused about it all - last night, I was torn between slapping him and running away, and just letting him do it. There is something so hypnotizing about the man. The way he looked at me...It was inescapable. I felt compelled to stay, and not through fear, or intimidation, but because I simply couldn't bring myself to leave. I don't know what to do, or how to act. This morning I found myself putting on perfume before breakfast! Here I am, betrothed to marry tomorrow, and a sub-conscience part of me appears to be trying to impress not my groom, but my future father-in-law. I am not even repulsed by my own behaviour, and that makes it worse. Addy, tell me what I should do!_

 _The other part of it is this: I feel so guilty for Narcissa's sake. She has been so kind to me, and on my second night here I was in her husband's study, letting him caress me. And I am quite sure it wasn't innocent. I don't know what she knows about it - perhaps she is used to it, as I expect that she is no stranger to Lucius' mistresses, but I must assume that it is a secret between Lucius and me - her husband and me._

 _And tomorrow I am to be married to their son, who has done nothing but sulk and shoot me the odd half-hearted glare this whole time. I wish you could be here, Adriene, I really do._

 _Please, write me back as soon as you can - tell me what to do! I need your guidance so desperately!_

 _I do hope all is well at Beauxbatons._

 _With all my love,_

 _V_

*.*.*.*.*


	7. Chapter 7

**Rated M.**

Chapter Seven

When she had sent the letter off, using one of the Malfoys' many owls, which she assumed she had permission to use, Virginia found herself stopping to think. She knew that this was not a wise move, and so decided to try to keep busy. However, having exhausted every possible object of interest in her room (of which there were very few), she soon found herself wandering around the empty Manor, looking for something else to keep her mind off the worries that were nagging at her conscience.

The house-elves were all busy cleaning and performing other chores, and the few that didn't tremble in the presence in humans were too busy to stop and chat. Even Mimi and Bron were busy with laundry.

In the end, Virginia found herself in the corridor of Lucius' study. Narcissa had steered her clear of it on their original tour, and so she had only been near the place last night, and then she'd been too preoccupied with Lucius to really notice her surroundings. _Keep walking, Virginia,_ she told herself, knowing that her feline-like sense of curiosity had gotten her in trouble in the past, but something was luring her towards the heavy wooden door. She passed it once, walking to the other end of the corridor. No one was around. None of the Malfoys were due back for hours. The house-elves were busy...

 _It'll probably be locked,_ she told herself, walking past the door a second time, willing her legs to keep moving. She wasn't even sure exactly why she wanted to go in there so much. Something was drawing her in, and she couldn't shake her inexplicable curiosity.

Coming to an abrupt halt on her third walk past, she hastily grabbed onto the door handle, half praying that it would be locked so that she could move on. It was not. The door was heavy, but perfectly possible to open, and swung into the office. Virginia stepped in quickly, and shut the door behind her, letting go of the deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding in.

She turned slowly to face the room, which was dark except for where light was pouring through a large window. Directly opposite her was Lucius' grand mahogany desk, and behind it his sturdy leather chair. To her left, the fireplace and dark leather armchairs in which the pair had sat yesterday evening, and to the right of that the side board in which Lucius kept his drinks. The other side of the office was lined with ceiling-high bookcases, stuffed with ancient looking volumes, and the odd display jar, containing items Virginia didn't want to look too closely at.

She moved slowly, making sure she didn't touch anything. Perhaps the most striking thing about the room was its deep scent, musky and slightly spicy. It smelt like Lucius, and Virginia found herself inhaling deeply.

She walked up and down the line of books, skimming the titles. Many of the books appeared to have titles in Latin or Greek, and she could only imagine what sort of dark magic they held, judging by their dark covers.

Coming to Lucius' desk, Virginia's heart missed a beat, and she froze where she was, like a frightened rabbit. She could hear footsteps approaching the door, and the unmistakable, ominous tapping noise of Lucius' cane in time with the steps. She gulped, her heart beating at a terrified pace. Her eyes scanned the room in desperation - the only place to hide would be behind the desk. Her fight or flight instinct failed her, and she chose neither option, choosing instead to throw herself under the large desk, just as the door handle turned, and the lights shot on.

Virginia's heart was in her mouth as she positioned herself under the desk, which thankfully concealed her fully, at least from the other side. She prayed that Lucius wouldn't come round to the chair side, let alone sit down. The chances that he wouldn't kick her as he sat down and discover her were petrifying low. She placed a firm hand over her mouth in an attempt to conceal her heavy breathing, and curled herself into a ball, loathing herself for being so stupid. _What was I thinking?!_

She could barely breathe as she heard Lucius' steps coming closer, coming right towards his desk. She heard him set something down on the top, presumably papers, and hoped that he would turn and leave, but he kept moving, resting his cane on the side of the desk, inches from where Virginia was hiding.

And then he pulled out his chair. And sat down. It was all Virginia could do not to curse under her breath at her own foolishness and bad luck - _he should be out on business!_ she moaned silently. _Curiosity killed the cat..._

Lucius' shoes, by some grace of God, hadn't come into contact with the body under his desk, and he now set about shuffling papers, from what Virginia could make out of the sounds. His legs were so close that she could feel his heat radiating from him. Her position was becoming dreadfully uncomfortable, but she didn't dare move, resigning herself to any number of minutes, hours even, under there if only he would leave without discovering her, and she could go back to her room an innocent.

She suddenly thought - if Lucius was back, Draco was probably with him. And if Draco was back, it wouldn't be long before he came looking for her. And if he couldn't find her, she might be declared missing, and-

"I know you're down there, Virginia." Lucius' velvet voice cut sharply into Virginia's panicked thoughts, and she nearly had a heart attack, rising involuntarily and nearly hitting her head on the underside of the desk. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, wishing the earth would swallow her up. _How did he know?_

Lucius slowly pushed his chair out of the way, and leant down, peering under his desk. Virginia's terrified eyes met his, and he smirked, holding out a mock-gentlemanly hand to help her up. She took it, pure fear, embarrassment, and shame etched across her pretty face. She got to her feet with shaking knees and brushed her dress down, straightening the skirt, as Lucius looked on with vague amusement, his eyes giving nothing away.

In truth, he had known the minute she'd entered his study, and it was the reason he had returned so early. He'd always had protective charms guarding his office, but no one before now had ever dared to go in uninvited - he couldn't fault her for her boldness, even if it was foolish beyond measure.

And, he couldn't deny: he'd hoped that he would catch her before she got out, but the hiding-under-the-desk move - it was almost too good to be true. He refrained from smirking gleefully; now he got to watch the girl squirm before him, at a distinct disadvantage.

"I am _so_ sorry, Sir," Virginia began, her voice soft and timid sounding.

"Are you?" Lucius asked her, his aristocratic leer prominent. "I think you're just sorry you got caught."

Virginia shook her head vehemently, and a lock of hair fell from its up-do, framing one side of her face. "I shouldn't have been in here..."

"No, you shouldn't have been," Lucius cut across her, trying and succeeding to sound furious and intimidating. Virginia squirmed under his gaze. In reality, Lucius was finding it hard to be angry with the girl - she'd clearly done no harm, (other than letting her nosiness get the better of her), and he was enjoying watching her like this, sadistic in his delight at her fearful expression. He continued to interrogate her, part of him interested to see how far he could push her before she'd break down:

"And what were you doing in _my_ office, uninvited?" he asked cruelly, his lip curled in the fear-inducing manner he'd so perfected in his time.

Virginia could barely meet his eye. "I-I was exploring the Manor, Sir," _Again with the 'sir',_ Lucius thought to himself, refraining from outright smirking at her. "I couldn't remember which room this was, and-"

"Liar!" Lucius slammed his fist down on his desk, and Virginia jumped, her cheeks flushing a beautiful shade of red.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered, her voice cracking as she said it - _this is it,_ Lucius thought, sadistically happy - _she's going to break_.

"Why were you really in my study?" Lucius pushed her, standing up so that he was towering over her, and roughly taking a hold of her chin to force her eyes to his.

"I-" Virginia stuttered, but couldn't think of a convincing answer. "I was _curious_..."

Lucius leered down at her as the first tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek. Bizarrely, though half of him was enjoying having her so utterly helpless before him like this, half of him was overcome with the sudden urge to wipe her tear, and reassure her. _How does she do this to me?_

"Do you think it was _polite_ ," he hissed, "To _break_ into my study like that? To _lie_ to me about it only minutes later?"

"No, Sir," Virginia whimpered, thinking it unwise to point out that she hadn't technically _broken_ in if the door was unlocked.

"I should punish you..." Lucius mused, still gripping her chin, an evil spark appearing in his normally cold eyes. Virginia could have sworn her heart stopped beating momentarily.

Lucius would have given anything to throw her down onto his desk and fuck her, hard, into the solid wood, to teach her a lesson. That, he mused with a smirk, or take her over his knee. Instead, he settled for something which proved to be far more intimidating: he spun her around, and swiftly walked her backwards until her back hit the wall behind his desk. Pinning her arms to her sides, he lunged forward, taking her by surprise, and kissed her roughly, nipping her bottom lip with his teeth. It only lasted for a second, two at most, but when he pulled back and released her hands, Virginia couldn't move.

Her heart pounded in her chest so loudly she worried he would hear it. Her wide eyes never strayed from his as her mind frantically tried to process what had just happened. She brought a hand up to her lips, her breath coming in short bursts. Lucius looked on from a meter away. When he stepped forward a second time, he expected the girl to flinch or move away, but she did not. She stood her ground, and when his lips came down to meet hers, he found they were met with a passion, which, though it could hardly be said to equal his own, was certainly not that of a girl who had no feelings towards him. And when she tentatively raised a hand to touch his upper arm, all he could do was push her further into the wall, and try to refrain from pulling her closer towards him.

*.*.*.*.*

Virginia was struggling to look anywhere near composed as she sat, less than an hour later, opposite Draco in a small reception room she hadn't been in before. Luckily, Draco didn't seem to notice - he was far too preoccupied with an invisible mark on the ceiling.

Having made awkward small talk for a couple of minutes, the soon-to-be married couple had run out of things to say to each other. Draco was far too stubborn and moody at the moment to try very hard, and Virginia was relieved to have a few moments to think, even if she was seated in close proximity to the son of the very man who was on her mind.

She thought back to their kiss, still reeling in shock, not only at him having kissed her at all, but shocked too at her reaction. She had _enjoyed_ it. She had felt an unfamiliar tingling in her lower stomach, and craved his touch when he'd pulled back. And even before that, through her fear and her tears, she had, dare she say it, _liked_ the way he exerted his dominance over her. And when he'd said the word "punish"...

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Draco asked stiffly, breaking Virginia's reverie. Her eyes darted to meet his, and she hoped she didn't look as flushed as she still felt.

"I believe so. I still need to try on the dress my mother sent me, but otherwise..."

"Good." Draco replied, his voice strained and distant. After contemplating her for the briefest of seconds, his eyes turned to the window, and he was lost in thought again.

Virginia's thoughts immediately turned back to Lucius. After their second kiss, which had lasted for nearly a minute by her reckoning, although time had felt distorted, Lucius had taken two steps back from her. His eyes were burning as he looked her over, before he took Virginia by surprise (not for the fist time that day), and walked over to the door, holding it open for her.

"Draco is waiting for you in the reception room," he had told her calmly, and if it hadn't been for his lust-filled eyes or slightly disheveled hair, one would have been forgiven for thinking that he had just finished conducting a business meeting, and was showing his guest out.

Virginia simply stared mutely at him for a few seconds, before running her fingers through her hair as best she could to straighten it, and heading to the door.

As he had done on the previous night, Lucius left her little room, and she was forced close to him to get through the narrow space. She had stopped herself from inhaling his deep scent, aware of how closely he was watching her.

When she left the room, she had walked away, only pausing to look over her shoulder right at the end of the corridor. Lucius was leaning against the door frame cockily, his eyes trained on her. He raised an arrogant, aristocratic eyebrow at her, before disappearing back into his study.

*.*.*.*.*

Draco and Virginia spent an increasingly awkward half-hour together, until Narcissa came in with a couple of house-elves, carrying tea-cakes and coffee. Noticing the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room, Narcissa took pity on both her son and Virginia, and sat down to join them, trying her best to spark conversation between them.

To her credit, Virginia did try to engage with Draco, but he wasn't having any of it, and sat solemnly for the most part, while Virginia and Narcissa talked about the trivial matters of the impending wedding. In the end, seeing that their meeting was going no where, Narcissa suggested that Virginia and she go to try on the dress, leaving Draco to his moping.

"I'm sorry about Draco," Narcissa said as she shut the door behind them in Virginia's room. "He's hardly showing you the best of himself. I hope that will come with time..." Virginia nodded reassuringly, although she was not convinced.

"Has your mother been in touch?" Narcissa asked lightly, trying to change the subject, but didn't miss Virginia's grimace at the mention of Antoinette.

"She sent her regards," Virginia replied stiffly, turning to lift her dress from the small trunk her mother had sent it in.

"How kind," Narcissa murmured, coming to help with removing the layers of packaging. When they finally got to the actual dress, Virginia gasped in horror. The dress was utterly hideous. Even Narcissa, an incredibly tactful woman, couldn't restrain a gasp.

The dress, the dress that generations of Antoinette's family had worn for centuries, (or so she claimed), was an off-cream colour, made from too much fabric and trying to flow all the way to the floor and to the wrists of the pouffy sleeves. The silk was covered in a delicate lace which came all the way up to an inch below the neckline, but stopped suddenly at the back, leaving a pure white patch, which gave the impression of having been stained or bleached, but was in fact the effect the designer was aiming for. It was not a sight for sore eyes. Or any eyes, come to that.

"You... _have_ to wear this one?" Narcissa asked finally, fiddling with the fabric between two fingers. The dress smelled like moths.

"My mother insisted..."

Narcissa took a deep breath. "Very well then - we'll make the best of it!" Virginia's eyes met hers in doubt. Narcissa lifted the dress carefully and shook it to rid it of its top coating of dust, and lay it flat on the bed, as Virginia stripped self-consciously to her slip. Narcissa helped her undo the buttons, and Virginia stepped into the dress, leaving Narcissa to tug on the lace ties and do her up.

When she was securely in the dress, Virginia moved over to the mirror, and grimaced at the sight before her. Ironically, considering her mother's harsh words, the dress was too _big_ for her, and hung limply around her, drowning her. The colour made her look a deathly pale, and the lace was so frumpy in parts that she looked as if she had bumps all over her. She turned away from the image quickly, and looked to Narcissa in desperation.

"It's awful."

"It's different." Narcissa replied calmly, and got out her wand, circling Virginia, who looked on the brink of tears. She muttered a few spells, tightening the fabric and pulling the seams closer so that dress took on a more fitted look, and didn't look like it was swallowing the bride. Thinking hard, Narcissa recalled an old charm she hadn't used for many years, and successfully brightened the colour so that it wasn't so dreary. Two spells later, and all though the dress maintained its original 'character', it was definitely passable. Narcissa gently moved Virginia's shoulders so that she could face herself in the mirror again.

"Narcissa..." she murmured in awe, "That's incredible. Thank you!" She had the urge to hug the older woman, who was hovering behind her smiling, but stopped herself as guilt overwhelmed her. How could she hug this woman, whom she'd betrayed? How could she even let her help?

"Thank you," she said again, looking down to the ground in shame. _Maybe I really am evil?_ Virginia wondered. She'd always wondered why she'd been placed in Slytherin House...perhaps the hat had seen this coming before she ever had...

"What's the matter?" Narcissa asked softly, coming to stand between Virginia and the mirror. Virginia merely shook her head and wouldn't meet her concerned gaze. Narcissa sighed. "Shall we take this off you?" she asked gently, and Virginia nodded, the women setting about removing the garment.

Virginia quickly changed back into her former dress, and Narcissa hung the wedding dress up, ready for tomorrow.

"May I have a word, Virginia?" she asked, and Virginia nodded again, moving to sit next to Narcissa on the plump sofa. _Does she know?_ she wondered, paranoia nagging at her thoughts.

"Virginia," Narcissa asked softly, clearing her throat. "I don't mean to pry, or delve into something that isn't my business, but...I shall speak bluntly. Has your mother spoken to you about your wedding night?"

Virginia's eyes darted away in embarrassment, and she flushed, nodding slightly. "What did she say?" Narcissa asked, hating to push the girl but concerned that Antoinette Renwick's advice may have been less than helpful to a young girl.

"She just told me that, em, a good wife should be obedient, and dutiful, and should never contradict or disobey her husband. That my husband is my master, and I must try to please him." Narcissa nodded, but Virginia stopped there.

"And did she speak to you about..." Narcissa searched for the right word: " _Marital relations_?" Virginia shook her head.

{Please leave me a little review! What do you think will happen at the wedding? Will Narcissa become suspicious soon? What will Virginia do about her feelings for Lucius? Let me know what you think!}


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

*Warnings: language, sexual themes*

Narcissa smiled reassuringly at Virginia's reflection in the dressing table mirror as she worked on pinning her hair up. The girl looked tired, she thought, but a smudge of concealer would cover the slight blemishes under her eyes.

Virginia hadn't left her room that morning, having eaten breakfast in bed at Narcissa's suggestion and Lucius' permission, and was now seated at her dressing table, dressed in a white robe, as Narcissa stood behind her, and Mimi, her house-elf, rubbed her face with lotions and various forms of make-up, illuminating her cheekbones and giving her the bridal 'glow' that Narcissa had requested - anyone would need to look radiant to stand any chance of pulling off the horrible dress.

"Would you like anything, Virginia?" Narcissa asked gently. Even with her make-up, Virginia still looked very pale and worried, and Narcissa was concerned that she might pass out.

"A glass of water would be lovely," the girl replied, her throat a little croaky. Mimi jumped off her stool and hurried off to fetch her what she'd asked for. Narcissa moved around her so that she was crouching on the floor next to her, looking up.

"Are you sure you're OK? You know, if anything's on your mind, you can tell me." Virginia smiled weakly and nodded, but said nothing. There was certainly a lot of her mind, but what could she possibly tell Narcissa? _I don't want to marry your beloved son_ , or _I definitely don't want to sleep with him, especially after what you told me last night._ Or even _Yesterday afternoon, your husband and I kissed - twice_. Particularly not the very thing that was gnawing away at the young woman: _I can't stop thinking about Lucius - I feel so guilty. I'm sorry._

Having waited for a moment but receiving no answer, Narcissa returned to Virginia's hair when Mimi returned with the glass of water, sighing quietly. She thought back to last night, and her 'chat' with Virginia. Half of her was regretting having brought the topic of 'marital relations' up at all, but she knew it was for the best - Virginia had known less to nothing in factual knowledge, and although she had been horrified, Narcissa still maintained that it was better to find out before the moment the actual act was to take place.

She thought back to her own wedding night; she'd been only eighteen, and innocent as a rose, Lucius twenty-two, but experienced beyond his years. It had been a shock to her; she had been frightened from the moment her maids left her alone in her chamber to wait for him, and even more frightened when he'd come to join her, barely dressed under his robe, which he'd swiftly dropped to the ground. And when he'd approached her, and tried to remove the few scraps of material she'd been allowed to keep on...She'd never felt more vulnerable, not even knowing what was about to happen. No one had told her. She'd heard the tales of course - _It hurts for a woman_ , and _You just have to lie on your back and close your eyes_ , but she hadn't known what they _meant_. How could she?

She was determined to make things better for Virginia than they'd been for her. She saw Virginia gulp in the mirror, clearly lost in thought, and patted her shoulder. "All done with your hair," she smiled down at her, and Virginia reached a tentative hand up to feel the back of her head.

"Thank you."

"Mimi is finished with Mistress' make-up," the house-elf informed Virginia, and she thanked her warmly, too. Narcissa had never seen a house-elf and human have such an informal and warm relationship - then again, Lucius instilled far too much fear in their elves to leave any possibility for mutual respect. She thought back to Virginia's first morning in the Manor, when they'd encountered Lucius punishing Mimi. It still struck her as strange that Lucius hadn't said anything more to Virginia about the matter. Or about the time she'd been late for dinner. She'd expected him to lose his temper the minute she walked in, but he hadn't even raised his voice to her.

Of course, she'd noticed him watching Virginia. She recognized the looks he gave her - they had been the sort of looks he'd bestowed upon her, in the early days of their marriage. After Draco had been born, they'd become less frequent, less potent. He'd started to come to her room every other night, instead of daily, and then a few weeks after that even less frequently. And then he'd taken his first mistress, a little brunette creature called Alys, who'd fawned over him like a pest, or so Narcissa had always thought. Lucius of course had adored her - that was, until she got boring, and he moved on to his next woman.

Narcissa had spent two years of jealousy and bitterness, watching Lucius parade his 'other woman' around the Manor, under Narcissa's nose, as she spent her hours in the nursery, taking on the role of the nursery maid in her efforts to avoid her husband and the women he allowed to roam free in _her_ house.

But then, inevitably, she supposed, she got used to it. _You can get used to anything_ , she remembered her mother telling her once. _You think you can't, but you will. You always will_. Lucius still came to be with her once a week, without fail, and that grew to be enough for her. She'd even grown rather fond of one or two of his mistresses - it made it easier knowing that they never lasted long. He bought them silk dresses, and pretty gold jewelry. But he gave her a son, the most precious thing in the world to her. And as long as he was still _her_ husband, she knew that there was nothing she could do to stop him having his affairs - men of his status always did. And she couldn't blame the women either - even if his charms hadn't been so irresistible, the promise of a few months at Manor and all the luxuries they could wish for was something she could understand. They each thought they'd be the one for him, that he'd fall in love with them, and maybe even leave Narcissa. Some of the ruder ones even told her as much. But she knew better. He'd never leave his wife, and he rarely saw them as more than toy-things, to play with and sleep with and dispose of when another took his fancy. Like a child in a toy-shop. A dangerous child in a toy-shop.

Lucius hadn't taken a mistress since Lila, "the bitch who stole Christmas" as Narcissa referred to her in her head, who he had removed from the picture over a month ago. It was nothing new for Lucius to wait a few weeks between mistresses, especially if he was busy with business matters, but what was worrying Narcissa was his apparent fascination with Virginia. She still didn't know what he'd said to her that night when he'd taken her into his study after dinner, and part of her didn't want to know.

She felt sure that she could trust Virginia not to act in an unladylike manner - the girl wouldn't do anything unseemly, she was sure. It was Lucius she didn't trust. She could only that hope that after today, when she was _married_ to his _son_ , that Lucius would keep his eyes to himself. Still, the passion he'd shown her on Saturday night after his talk with Virginia...She didn't know what to make of it.

Both Narcissa and Virginia turned as they heard a sharp rapping on the door - "Come in," Narcissa called, her train of thought broken, and Virginia pulled her robe more tightly around her.

"Narcissa!" Narcissa almost winced at the unpleasant tones of Antoinette Renwick, and she saw Virginia grit her teeth out of the corner of her eye.

"Madam Renwick," she cooed, stepping forward to greet the obnoxious French woman, kissing her hastily on both cheeks, "How lovely to see you."

"And you, and you," Virginia's mother replied, taking in her surroundings in an unsubtle manner that didn't live up to her blood status whatsoever. "Virginia," she cried upon noticing her daughter, and Virginia attempted a smile reluctantly. Narcissa couldn't help but feel for her.

"'Ave you tried on ze dress?" her mother demanded, pinching Virginia's cheeks in a way which didn't look completely loving.

"Yes, Maman," Virginia answered, trying to wriggle for her mother's grip, now on her shoulders. "I tried it on last night."

"Well, let me see, let me see!" Antoinette demanded, finally letting her daughter stand up. She turned to Narcissa: "Zese young girls, huh?" she scoffed, and Narcissa let out a small laugh, raising an eyebrow at Virginia when Antoinette's back was turned.

Mimi lifted the dress off the hook where Narcissa had hung it up last night, and the older woman watched Antoinette's face closely as recognition sunk in. "Zis is not ze dress..."

Virginia looked shifty, her eyes darting to Narcissa, who quickly and diplomatically stepped in: "The dress is lovely, Antoinette, however it was a little too large for Virginia, so I was compelled to alter it slightly to better fit her. I hope you won't object..."

Antoinette's jaw had tightened, but she merely shrugged and flashed a fake smile at Narcissa. "Very well." Narcissa was grateful that she was so reverential to her and Lucius - Antoinette Renwick kicking up a fuss at this late stage would do no one any good.

Narcissa moved over to help Virginia put on the dress, thinking it sad that her own mother didn't seem to want to help. Once it was done up, Antoinette regarded her daughter critically. "You look... _nice_ , Poussin." Virginia didn't even manage a smile this time.

"Do you think it's time to go downstairs?" Narcissa asked, acting quickly to diffuse the situation.

*.*.*.*.*

Lucius strode down the corridors of the Manor, ordering the elves to hurry up and get out of his way, utterly agitated. Draco was in a foul mood, having planted himself in his room and refusing to come out until the ceremony had literally _started_ , and even Lucius' threats were doing nothing to move him.

And he hadn't seen _her_ since last night...She'd looked so lovely at dinner, blushing when he caught his eye.

"Lucius!" a familiar voice called, and Lucius turned sharply on his heel, coming face to face with Shacklebolt. "The big day is here, my friend."

"I am not your 'friend', Shacklebolt," he hissed, gripping his cane so tightly that he was sure his knuckles must have turned white.

Shacklebolt merely raised an eyebrow, unperturbed. He'd seen the man in worse moods. "I'd like to thank you for your generous _donation_ ," he continued, "It was very much appreciated. We've decided to put it to use in the Equalities Department - working for the rights of Muggle-Borns, and such. I knew you'd approve," he added with a righteous smirk, seeing Lucius' dark expression. "And, just so you know, the Creevey family are happily settled with another groom for Olivia - no harm done. Hasn't this all worked out nicely?"

"What do you want, Shacklebolt?" Lucius demanded. The Minister for Magic shrugged innocently.

"Nothing at all, Lucius. Only to congratulate you on behalf of your son and soon-to-be daughter in law. I haven't met Virginia, but I've heard that she's a charming young witch. Speaking of which, where is Draco? I haven't seen him today."

Lucius pursed his lips. "He will be present for the Ceremony."

"I'm glad to hear it," Shacklebolt chuckled; "The official overseer wouldn't be best pleased if the groom was absent, would he?"

Lucius made no reply, glaring coldly at Shacklebolt, who took it as his cue to leave. "Well Lucius, it was a pleasure to see you, as always. I expect we'll cross paths again this afternoon. Send Draco my regards when you see him..."

Lucius nodded curtly and turned on his heel, striding off on his way.

*.*.*.*.*

"Virginia."

"Father." Virginia turned as the door opened, revealing Charles Renwick, turned out in his finest robes for the occasion. She'd been escorted downstairs and left in a small reception room while Narcissa went to greet the guests. Her mother had followed Narcissa like an eager puppy, clearly unwilling to spend any more time with her daughter.

"You look lovely." Virginia smiled as she leant up to kiss her father on the cheek. Charles, unlike his wife, looked genuinely pleased to see his daughter, but he was taciturn as ever, and when the pleasantries were said and done, the two lapsed into silence. Neither minded - this was how they were with each other. In their family home, comfortable silence had always made a welcome change to Antoinette's incessant chattering.

Before long, Narcissa had returned, and told them that the ceremony was to start in a few minutes. Virginia took a deep breath, and lowered her lace veil, taking her father's proffered arm and following him out of the room. Narcissa patted her back as she passed, hoping the small gesture might provide even the smallest amount of reassurance.

The walked down the corridors in silence, their footsteps echoing around them. Virginia was in a sort of daze - nothing seemed real to her. The ancient portraits lining the walls were a blur to her, and she was grateful for her father's arm, or else she feared she might have fallen over.

As they drew nearer to the Great Room, in which the ceremony was to take place, Virginia could hear the general babble of the guests. She didn't know the exact figures, but knew that the Malfoys had numerous friends and social allies they would have invited, not to mention the other ancient, high-status families they would have invited out of tradition and custom. And that was without her own guests, or more, her _mother's guests,_ as Antoinette had taken it upon herself to invite every other wizarding family they had ever had anything to do with - apart from Adriene's family, of course. Madam Renwick was more than keen to show off her daughter's impressive marriage, and her new home at the Manor.

Charles and Virginia came to a halt at the entrance to the Great Room, and Narcissa stepped in, nodding to the Ministry Official, a tall and imposing man, who called for quiet amongst the guests. Virginia could see very little from under the veil, but she could make out Draco's figure at the front, standing to the right of the Official, and Lucius a couple of steps behind him, cane in hand as always.

The room hushed quickly, followed by the sound of rustling as everyone stood up. As Virginia began to move forward, she kept her eyes forward - what felt like hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to watch her procession, many of whom hadn't seen her before now, or, in the case of her own family, hadn't seen her for a long time. She felt like lamb walking to the slaughter with every step she took towards Draco, and she gripped her father's arm tightly.

They reached the front, and came to a stop besides Draco. Charles released her arm and leant to kiss her on the cheek, squeezing her arm comfortingly before he left her to join Antoinette and Narcissa. Virginia noticed that Lucius had taken a seat too, leaving just her and Draco at the front. She was glad for veil, aware that only those seated in the front row would be able to make out much of her face.

"Please sit," the Ministry Official instructed the guests, and there was another rustle as everyone sat down. Virginia made a conscious effort to stand still. She glanced up at Draco, but he wasn't even looking at her, focused instead on a spot over her shoulder. The Official cleared his throat and began:

"We are here today by Proclamation of the Ministry of Magic, to witness the marriage of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Virginia Adélaïde Éloise Renwick. These two persons present come now to be joined. If any one among you can show just reason why they may not be joined, under the laws of the Ministry and the laws of Magic itself, may they speak now..."

The Official trailed off, letting a minute pass for any objections to be raised. Virginia half hoped that someone might speak up, but of course they didn't.

"Very well then," the Official continued, turning to Draco: "Draco, do you take Virginia for your lawful wife, to live together under the protection of the Ministry as a wedded couple for as long as you both shall live?" Virginia could have sworn she would have heard a pin drop in the moment that followed.

"I do," Draco said stiffly, and Narcissa audibly exhaled in the front row.

The Official turned to face Virginia. "Virginia, do you take Draco for your lawful husband, to live together under the protection of the Ministry as a wedded couple for as long as you both shall live, forsaking all others?" Virginia tried not to let her grimace show as he spoke the last fragment - only brides were expected to "forsake all others", which struck Virginia as highly unfair.

She took a deep breath, and her eyes met Draco's. "I do."

"The rings?" the Official asked, and Draco pulled out a velvet pouch from the inside of his robes, untying the satin tie with unsteady fingers, and letting the two rings fall into the Official's palm. They were simple yet elegant, and chosen by one of his parents, Virginia suspected.

The Official handed the smaller one to Draco. "Repeat after me," he told him: "With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." Draco said evenly, slipping the ring onto Virginia's wedding finger, before quickly dropping her hand from his. She swallowed, nervously anticipating her turn. The Official handed her the larger of the two rings, and Draco held his hand out.

"With this ring, I thee wed," the Official repeated, and Virginia copied him, her voice calm and clear in spite of her nerves. She slipped the ring onto Draco's finger, and felt the knot in her stomach tighten.

The Official placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "By the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic of Britain, I do declare you husband and wife. With this charm, I place you under the Protection and Dominion of the Ministry." He waved his wand in a figure of eight around them both, leaving a short-lived trail of gold-coloured smoke, before it vanished.

"Mr Malfoy," he continued, addressing Draco, "You may kiss your bride." And to the audience: "May I present to you Mr and Mrs Draco Malfoy." The audience rose to their feet in applause, as Draco tentatively lifted Virginia's veil away from her face. She bit her lip sub-consciously as he regarded her for a second, before leaning in and planting a dry kiss on her lips. He lingered there for a moment as the applause continued, before pulling back. His face was cold and his expression distant as he took her arm and his, and, having shaken hands with the Official, led her back down the aisle.

Looking into the crowd, Virginia spotted her mother dabbing a handkerchief to her eyes, as Narcissa smiled at her, an almost sad look in her eyes. She refused to meet Lucius' gaze, although she could feel it on her.

When they had exited through the back doors, Draco turned and shut them behind them, blocking them from prying eyes. He rested his head on the solid wood of the door, holding the handles in place. Virginia stretched her hand out, examining the ring. It fitted well, if a tad snugly on her finger. She knew that there were charms included in the ceremony that made it almost impossible to remove a wedding band.

"What do we do now?" she asked after a minute of silence had passed, and Draco hadn't moved. She wondered if he even heard her.

He stood upright, finally letting go of the door. "We have a few minutes to ourselves before the reception," he said, his voice vacant. "You should probably take your veil off..." Virginia nodded, and reached up, lifting the lace piece off her hair. She held onto it awkwardly as Draco looked on. Virginia got the feeling that he wasn't so much _seeing_ her as simply looking right through her.

She cleared her throat, and his eyes focused on her face. "Do we wait here, or...?"

"No," he said gruffly, and walked right past her. She turned to follow him, rather indignantly - there was really no need for him to be so rude. He led her to yet another small reception room. A tray containing two flutes of champagne had been set out, along with a handwritten note. " _Congratulations"_.

"My mother." Draco said in explanation, taking a flute and passing it to Virginia. She took a small sip as he downed half of his in one go. They were at a loss for what to say to each other.

"Where's the reception being held?" Virginia asked, although she knew the answer: the dining hall for the banquet, and then the transfigured Great Room for the dancing afterwards. Draco told her as much, before finishing his champagne and setting the flute down on the silver tray with a clatter. Virginia took another nervous sip.

*.*.*.*.*

{If you've taken the time to read this far and enjoyed the story so far, please take a second to leave me a review!}


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